A Year to Detective
by Essai
Summary: But a cop is fun, sure- but there has to be something to make the job more exciting. It's a one year wait until Nick Wilde can start his detective training, and trying to clean up a small neighborhood seems the best way to pass the time until the year is up. But how bad could one slum be?
1. Chapter 1: Peace and Boredom

**Chapter 1: Peace and Boredom**

 **Author's Note / A/N: (Hello everyone! Welcome to this author's humble/doomed attempt at writing something comprehensible and entertaining. Let me know what you think!)**

* * *

Zootopia was a nice place to work, especially as a police officer with the right mindset. Walking a beat was a wonderful thing to the right mammal. Nice and safe, sure, but for Nick Wilde, it just felt so _dull_ sometimes. It didn't really compare to what happened a few months ago.

Sure, all of this was doing some sort of good, helping folk live their lives in safety. But, he couldn't help but think that after saving Zootopia from a sheep hellbent on getting predators and prey to come to blows, he and his partner deserved more than to work a beat in one of the calmer parts of town. Seemed like a waste of some very talented mammals, in his humble opinion. Detective work, busting up some gangs, _that_ was more up his alley, _not_ sitting in the patrol car and scaring the life out of drivers with his siren.

To keep things from getting too dull, that meant only one thing- annoying his partner. Nick took a glance towards the workaholic rabbit sat near him, putting on his best smile. I have another joke!" he said. " Really, this one is great, knocked everyone dead at roll call."

She was getting very good at ignoring him. But the trick to beating stubborn was to be either more annoying or more stubborn, and today he was feeling the former.

" So," he began, leaning back in his seat. " There's this great farmer down in Bunnyburrow, right?" He leaned his head closer to her ears. " He worked for years to build his farm up to be the most productive, really the best thing ever. He makes 1,000 bushels of wheat, 1,500 bunches of grapes, 1,354 snips of carrots, and a whole ton of corn- that's his cash crop." She had an ear perked up now- an improvement.

" He had this huge conspiracy around him- how did he do it, every year?" he said thoughtfully. " Was it some secret fertilizer, buying out the competition? Everyone asks his secret, and do you know what he tells them? " Nick leaned forward in his seat, eyes wide. He took a deep breath, letting the moments pass by as slowly as possible.

" Well, I have no idea," he said gleefully. " because I wasn't there to hear him. "

This would normally be the point where she'd complain about him wasting her time and telling a joke that wasn't really a joke, but she'd kept silent, same as she had for the past few days. He took it in stride, leaning back into his seat and fishing in the center console for his other distraction. Mentally, he prayed for the radio to start squawking, someone to try something stupid. All that happened was more free time.

Although he was getting very good at catching his stress ball with all this free time.

 _Bonk. Bonk. Bank._

He caught the ball solidly, tossing it one more time, a little more forcefully, and winced as it bounced off the roof of the car and out the window, rolling down the sidewalk and out of sight. Sighing, he turned his head back to his partner sitting in the driver's seat.

" You gonna keep ignoring me?" he said. " I told you, partner, I just want to hear about what's out there in the wide world of police work. I won't leave- this part of town would burn down with just you in charge." She didn't smile at that, but she did at least say something.

Judy sighed. " If you and me ever wanted to do something besides walk a beat," she said " We have options- Robbery, Gangs, Juvenile, Special Victims. _You_ could work in the Canine Division, obviously. You might not have as good a nose as some of the other boys on there, but still- you get to track down the bad guys and bring them in. "

Nick tilted his head, leaning forward. " Shame that you don't want to work in any of those, though," he said. "Do special groups like those get good pay?"

Judy nodded, her eyes still focused outside the windshield. Would it kill her to look at him, just once? "More pay that you'd be used to, Nick. At least, I think so. I couldn't be with you in Canines, though... But, maybe then I'd get a partner who's actually good at their job. " she said it teasingly, but her smile wasn't reaching her eyes. They fell into silence for a while, and Nick went to looking back out the window.

He knew she hated the thought of him leaving, even if she never told him directly. That's why she had gone quiet today, and every other time he would bring this line of conversation up. The practical part of him knew that she would adjust if she had to, but she was growing on him, making him soft. He wasn't too happy with the idea of someone else becoming her partner- Judy would fall to pieces without him around. At least, that's what he told himself.

Nick glanced at the dashboard, noting the time- 1 o'çlock. " Hey," he said. " Mind if we talk about this over lunch? Maybe some food will let us think more clearly... and it beats sitting in this car any longer."

Nick wondered, as Judy steered the car over to a parking spot, if the mood was going to stay this awkward. She parked, and left the car without a second glance at him. He supposed that meant a firm yes.

* * *

"Hey, " said Nick. "I'm being serious, if you'd believe that. I'm not trying to be a beat cop for a whole year- it'd be nice to have something more exciting, more meaningful! Something where we're actually making a difference for _everyone_ , you know? "

They (well, Judy) had decided to walk down the block towards the local coffee shop. Nick had to admit it was a nice day for it- it was sunny, and all the folk were walking about mixed in with the increasing traffic made for a good energy. Sure, they could be called off lunch any minute to answer a call, but the radio had been quiet all day.

Judy seemed to be lost in thought during their walk, her paw absentmindedly fiddling with her radio volume, and he was sure with her ears perked like that she was listening intently. Not to him, but with a little more persistence…

They made it to the coffee shop fine, and getting through the line and ordering didn't take as long as he feared. Nick ordered his usual muffin and coffee, and seeing that Judy was still off somewhere else in her own world, decided to get her something he hoped she'd eat. She was out of it enough that he paid for both orders without her raising one word of complaint.

He waved her coffee under her nose. " Hey, you know I'm not good at ordering for you. Don't blame me if you don't like the coffee."

She took the coffee with murmured thanks, eyes glancing up at him before wandering back outside. Nick shook his head, and focused on finding them a place to sit and enjoy what little lunch they had.

Finding a table outside, he took sips of his drink hoping for his partner to come out of her head for a while. Normally, she'd be talking his ear off- he still had nightmares about the time she'd talked his ear off for thirty minutes straight about a new book series she was reading, and _that_ conversation had gone on after work. He could still remember the wide-eyed look she had, the constant tapping of feet, when she had gone on about the main character tracking down some kidnapper. Or was it a thief?

But no, there she was, staring off into space and absentmindedly sipping her coffee.

"I'm not _that_ ugly. " he chided. "You can at least look at me and pretend you like talking to me. I do that all the time. You want to tell me how that new Jack Savage book is going? You're on, what, chapter 30 of book 19 or whatever? "

Nothing. Whatever was going on in that head of hers, he hoped it was important.

* * *

Judy found herself lost in thought, for what felt like the hundreth time that week. Some excitement, Nick said. Talking about considering other divisions, getting into the real heavy stuff, potentially.

Tracking down the bad guys, bringing them in, big hero, lots of medals. Good.

And she'd be with a new partner and probably in a whole other division. Not good.

Judy bit her lip, brow furrowed- Nick was his own mammal, and he could do whatever he wanted. But she didn't have to like it, and at this point, she was sure something was going to happen soon if she kept giving him basic answers. She would have to put a foot down.

"Nick… " she began, hesitantly. His ears perked, and he turned his head from the view across the street.

"You know…" she said. "There'll be plenty of excitement if you waited just a bit longer, just a year. " He had opened his mouth, but she spoke over him, rising in her seat a little. " One year, and you and me can become detectives, do the real heroic police work and get to use those same skills that got you into the force in the first place. Pay's pretty good, I promise, and wecanalwaysdowhat-"

She caught her breath, saw him watching intently. She unclenched her paws, realizing they had dug into the coffee cup.

" It'd… be interesting in stuff like Canine, and Gangs, but just remember that you've got a good partner already, who can't go into Canine with you. Gangs, sure, but there's so few spots open that I'm not sure they'd take both of us- they've always asked for you, and when I try to show interest, it's-. "

Nick managed to speak over her this time. " A year with you?" he said teasingly, tapping her paw. " That might be fun, _maybe._ But I have conditions- can we actually try for something more exciting than _this_ , work in a busier district until then? I'm going to get fat sitting in that car all day, and I have to keep the admirers happy, you know." He chuckled. " All five of my fans."

Judy felt her shoulders relax, and leaned back into her chair. " I'll look into it," she said. " One year, and you and me can get into the investigative stuff together- those street smarts of yours will get to shine." She gave him a small smile, and squeezed his paw lightly. They sat there a moment, quietly, until Judy took a glance at the time. Lunch break was over. " Come on. Back to work. " She got herself out the chair, and Nick followed her back up the street, paws in his pockets. Walking side by side, she could see Nick looking … satisfied?

She didn't think it'd be that easy to get him to wait a year- that was a very big relief. But, she had to admit he was right about the lack of excitement. Their beat had always been quiet, and a part of her (well, a whole lot) enjoyed the adventure they had gone on. She wasn't quite ready to have her life threatened again, but she did like the idea of doing some more exciting than passing out tickets and watching Nick chat up vixens on their walks.

"You know," Nick said thoughtfully. " I've actually got some ideas about the whole excitement thing... It may involve going to someplace a farmer like you won't quite be used to…" Nick was grinning in a way that meant trouble, and she repressed the urge to roll her eyes. " But, I promise it'll turn into something interesting! Maybe might get Miss Police Supervisor promoted!"

One day, she would eventually stop listening to him. But that day wasn't coming up anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2: Something You're Not Used to

**Chapter 2: Something You're Not Used to.**

Considering that transfer paperwork took some time around eternity and never to have Chief Bogo approve it, Nick took the time to savor everything he loved about the beat he was (hopefully) leaving.

The half-second that took him warmed his heart just enough to get him through the last bit of paperwork without tearing out his fur. He wasn't sure what to call the mixture of emotions he felt when ticking the same boxes on the same report form for three hours.

He glanced over at Judy on the other side of the cubicle, head buried in her own pile. He could see her pen scratching away at each report, still moving deftly and with an energy he envied.

"Partner, " he called, her ears perking. " if you could write a referral to Doc Zur, I'd appreciate it. " Zur was the station counsellor, and Nick felt like he sorely needed another visit, if only for the stress balls the good doctor always handed out.

Judy glanced over at him, arm over the headrest of her chair. " I _could…_ " She smiled. " But maybe this is just a way for you to learn some patience, Nick. I know it's not exciting, but it's a paycheck, right?" Nick smiled back, rubbing his forehead with both paws and shaking his head slowly. His head was starting to ache.

" Yeah, but I get paid peanuts compared to you." he said. "Maybe that transfer comes with a bonus? Do we get a nicer uniform, at least? My sunglasses look nice, sure, but I could do with something with more flash."

"

She opened her mouth for something he sure she thought was witty, and took that moment to cut her off.

" Carrots, what do you do half the time?" he said, clasping his paws together and pitching his voice high- nice and slightly screechy. " 'The third book of the Jack Savage series is _sooo_ good, Nick! They're even in the middle of making a movie about the first book, and you just _have_ to read the fanfics that come out of that! Sometimes we're even in some! Baadacci even approved some! ' "

From the look her face, the falsetto he had put on was sufficiently annoying. He added in a few foot thumps to make it a little more authentic.

" You'd love it if he was a real mammal, huh? " Nick teased. " Dashing super-spy buck comes into to save the innocent-but-voluptuous doe, and together they stop the international smuggling ring… :

She _hmmph_ -ed. "First of all, " she started, a clear edge in her voice. " Savage _is_ real, those books are based off his exploits. And I'm not that high-pitched. "

Nick swiveled back to his station, flipping through the large stack of notes and reports.

"Could've fooled me, partner." He found a report from a few days back, pulling it out along with the large pile of notes stickered on top. " Well, could all your knowledge of Savage pick out anything interesting from this week? What would Savage think was interesting, Ace Detective?" he had meant it as a joke, and it surprised him when she didn't give a retort and instead buried her head in her report.

He heard her shift around in her chair.

"Do you remember when you convinced me to go off of our beat for a few minutes and we ended up finding those kids acting like they were in some gang? The Sloppy Sheeps, or something?"

"Yup." Judy was an easy one to convince, but it still surprised him when she agreed to go off her beat a week ago, down into a part of town that he was sure she'd never visit on her own whims. Driving down a side road, they had found a gaggle of kids pushing and shoving each other, sheep versus rams, and it had taken a few seconds of the siren to get them to stop. Nick questioned a few of them, although all he got was that the Sly Sheeps weren't going to keep competing with the Wrathful Rams. It impressed him that a kid as young as these knew what the word wrathful was, but they seemed all bark and no bite. He and Judy had things broken up in less than ten minutes, and it now sat in the reports as something for the Gang Division to keep an eye on.

Judy placed a report next to his- the same gang case. Pulling up her chair next to his, she took his report and flipped through it. He did the same with hers. She rubbed her forehead as she went through his summary. There had to be something they could get out of both reports together.

* * *

This area was a different beast than their morning patrol. Judy glanced at the dashboard clock one more time. 4:30 p.m., almost time to end their watch and head back to the station. Nick, though, had suggested they do some goodwill towards their fellow beat officers and run through a patrol of an area on the way back, and the area he suggested just happened to be in one of the more crime-ridden areas in the city. If she remembered her districts right, they were about halfway between Downtown and Sahara Square, in an apartment block. It was easier to count the roads that didn't have potholes and the cars without damage than with. Driving through slowly as she was, more than once she saw a car missing a bumper, or a mirror, sometimes even an entire door- not a place with high incomes.

How and why people could survive out here, she still didn't know. But she knew that there were plenty of shady elements they could find, even if they'd been getting smarter in their strategy- if the Gang Division told their stories right.

She had plenty of assurances from Nick of their chance to do some good here, though. Keeping kids out of crime, he had said. That's what got her to agree to this in the first place. Stopping crime at the root was bound to mean something. Right? She couldn't help but be a little nervous, though, despite Nick being beside her.

Nick wasn't sure his assurances were working as well as they used to. Even staring straight ahead out the windshield as he was, he could still see Judy fidgeting around in her seat. It had been fifteen minutes, and she still couldn't keep completely still. The squeaking of the chair was getting to him at this point, though.

"Carrots. " he said, softly. "Won't be of much help here if you make all this noise to scare folk off. Calm and collected, then we swoop in and make things a bit safer. Okay? "

She had nodded, but he didn't like the slightly wide-eyed look she had. He supposed she wouldn't have seen too much of this out in the country, and their little adventure around the city hadn't exactly been a scenic tour- most quick little pit stops as they had gone from clue to clue. He had seen worse personally- most of the cars here weren't on cinderblocks, for one, most of the streetlights still worked, and they hadn't bumped into anything suspicious yet. Or at least they didn't until Judy had turned the corner and ran a big clump of kids all packed together, shouting and punching. After Judy had flicked the siren to break them up a bit, he could see two of them still scrapping it out in the middle.

Judy took that opportunity to run in and pull them apart- she was a little surprised at how easy it was to pick one of them up. The kids were still trying to pick at each other as Nick held the other one, and it took a minute before they could get anything more out of their charges than shouts and arguing.

"He's tryna take my profits! " the ram had shouted. "I earned it fair and square, and he thinks he can just take my slice of the pie! " Nick had patted his head, smiling. " That's two clichés, I think. Just calm down, there's no need to get all rowdy over a couple of bucks. " The posturing had gone on for a little more, and the most Judy got out of her kid was much of the same- stepping on profits. A bit odd for kids to be so into entrepreneurship, she thought. They didn't look anywhere near their teens at this point, what could they be so angry about a buck lost here or there?

Nick was the first one to speak up. "See, I think these kids are just trying to hustle and get a head start on life. "said Nick. He scratched his head. " That's normal for that kind of area, but I haven't seen kids have named… eh, clubs. Well, that weren't acutually-" He rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The clock showed 8:00 p.m.. He groaned, with his exasperation only getting larger at seeing his partner still engrossed in his packet. " Can we pick this up tomorrow? Please?" he said.

Judy gave him that same stern look. "Nick, you've got… friends, right? That can tell us some more about the gangs in that area?" The smile she gave him left a feeling of dread in his chest. "How about… You talk to your buddies, Officer Wilde, and I'll tell the Chief all about how you were the big hero who stopped a child gang from getting up to no good? "

Nick placed his paws together, his face pleading. " I _could.._ but I feel like you're making mountains out of molehills here. It's just kids being kids, is all. Trying to be tough and make enough bucks to buy some snacks or something. Let's focus on the big players, just wait for the transfer to Gangs and-"

"Nick! "she said, and he saw that familiar fire in her eyes. "These are _kids!_ We can't just let this build up because it looks like nothing! A few weeks, and I bet you anything we'll have found something worthwhile. Those kids won't be kids forever, and we've got the opportunity to stop them from making a big mistake right now. Waiting for a transfer might take a month-"

She was emotional again, and he knew at this point there was no stopping her. He could try aiming her in the right direction, though. " Remember, though, that you've got no street-smarts. This is something you're just-" He saw her earnest eyes, the drive to do good. He didn't have the heart to put her down now. Nick sighed. "Judy…" he began. " We have to go about this the right way. If you really want to do some good, then maybe we can look in a different direction? Yeah? " She shook her head, and Nick gave up, not wanting to worsen his headache. She wanted to help the kids, let her try.

They had headed home after that, Judy content and Nick apprehensive. He hoped they weren't wasting time over Judy's bleeding-heart syndrome.


	3. Chapter 3: A Perfectly Legal Business

**Chapter 3: A Perfectly Legal Business**

 **(A/N): I hope you all like this chapter! It's about time this story had a plot, right?**

Nick knew she wasn't going to rest unless they made some progress within that area of town again. If he fought it, like his gut was telling him to, then she'd just get upset and accuse him of taking her out there for no reason. Hopefully, going out there a second time meant she'd get a clear idea of what actually needed to be done. Being nice doesn't automatically fix problems, he knew.

But it didn't mean that he couldn't at least try and support her before they got into the thick of it- start strong and end strong, he thought. He turned from the window to glance at his partner. "Ready to save some kids, Judy? " he said, smiling a little at the way her eyes lit up. She nodded, and they sat there for a few moments in silence. Out the window, he could see the clean and tidy apartments fade away to dirty streets and graffiti-covered buildings. He felt relaxed, but Judy...

Judy felt the doubt creeping up her gut again, and her paws tightened around the steering wheel. " Maybe it'll turn out to be nothing," she said. " Just me being silly and thinking about it too much. Kids are kids, after-" Nick interrupted her. " Can't hurt to check though, maybe I'm wrong, maybe you'll find something and get a nice shiny medal for it." He looked back out the window, rubbing the back of his neck. " Trust me, sometimes someone stepping in to do a few nice things can make a world of difference. A lot of small things add up to big things, remember."

The lack of sarcasm and all the encouragement did help, but Judy still couldn't figure where this was coming from. She hadn't come any closer to finding a good answer when they pulled up to the same apartment block from their last run-through. She left the car at the corner of the curb, and quickly found herself face-to-face with someone she supposed was important in the neighborhood- a middle-aged buck rabbit who had come out of the apartment block. Nick had quickly left, saying he wanted to canvass the block.

By the time the rabbit had reached her, Nick had gone around the corner. She felt slightly apprehensive, but quickly squashed that down- all she needed to do was talk like the officer she was. Find out what kind of neighborhood this was like, and she would be on the first steps to cleaning it up. Nothing too hard.

" Evenin', ma'am. " said the buck rabbit, smiling genially and offering his paw, which she shook. " Name's Liam, head of community watch. What brings you into this part of town at this late hour? " His voice was deep, some of his words drawn out. He stood very straight for someone his age, and his clothes weren't as bad as she expected them to be- nothing had holes, or looked too faded.

She mentally kicked herself. She was an officer, trying to help this place out. Focus on what's important.

She put on her best smile. "Well, Liam. We were a bit concerned that some of your kids acted a bit… out of character for their age, acting like they were in some sort of gang. Wrathful Rams, or something." Liam listened intently, and had smiled slightly at her mention of the gang.

" I think y'all have the wrong idea, ma'am. " said Liam. " Those 'gangs' the kids are doing are just fundraising groups. I'm not so sure you know, but this community here has started an improvement program. The kids sometimes go out and do what they can to get money to use for the betterment of this area. They just get competitive sometimes, is all. "

Judy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Meaning what, exactly? What are children going to do to make things better _here_?" She cringed a little, realizing what they could sound like, but Liam didn't seem to notice.

" Officer, " the rabbit had put on a small smile now. " Believe me when I say we just want the best for our kids. Me and the other adults in this neighborhood, we wanted something better for the next generation, right? " He waved a paw in the general direction of the apartment block- a mess of peeling paint, broken windows, and stuttering air conditioners, his voice having picked up. " Ninety percent prey population, sure, but that doesn't mean there are jobs for everyone, 'specially those coming from the rural bits into the big city. Those of us not working, we take the time to give our kids an education and a future! Right? Why let them sit in a slum? Learn them up and help them get out and living!

"

Despite herself, Judy felt her heart soften. He did seem awfully earnest, and there was a plan to make things better…

"How's that? "Nick had ambled back now, and took his spot next to was a rare look to see on his face- he clearly wasn't happy. " You have a school and bake shop built into the apartment or something? " the tone was joking, but she could hear an edge to it.

Liam's smile grew wide. " Old Nick! Or d'you go by Officer Wilde in that getup? " Nick gave a flat _hm_ , and Liam continued. " See, we have a few of the ladies here run a homeschool, right? And they- Oh, they've got their permits, Officer Hopps, don't fuss- and we've got a system going all the way through high school. Might not get them into the big Zootopia universities, but we definitely got some bright ones heading out to some other cities soon."

Judy jumped in before he could speak again. " There's plenty of good sch-"

"It's our choice here to do what we want with these kids. " Liam said, his smile gone. " They're not being hurt, we give them learning, and so far a lot of kids have left happy, and they even give back to us here. " He waved back at the apartment block again. "Eventually we'll have enough to fix this place up. We'll make this place nice, no thanks to you all stomping around and making accusations. "

Nick had taken the opportunity to step forward. " Big hero, that's great, Liam. But what we wanted to know was why these kids are acting like they're in a gang. Hustling, it seems like, too. That part of your schooling? "

"Kids being kids, Nick. " Liam said, flatly.

" I was wondering," said Judy. " Any reason these boys are coming up behind you? "

Liam turned, his smile returning. "Community watch, Officers. With you two being so, ah, inquisitive, people tend to get concerned. " Two older bucks, in their late teens, had come out of the block and slowly made their way to slightly behind Liam. They weren't exactly threatening, in their faded tees and jeans, but they didn't look very happy. Nick nodded to one of them.

" How's your mom, James? Enjoy your lunch? " Nick said. His voice had taken on a light tone. " Took the extra to your momma, right? " James nodded, looking at the concrete. "Th… Thanks for the money." stammered James. Nick smiled and clapped the buck's shoulder. "I'll try and get more, but just keep out of trouble, OK? For her." James nodded, and Judy could see a hesitant look in his eyes as he glanced at her.

Judy smiled at him. " Hi James. " she said softly. "How's about I walk you home? I'm sure you have to study. " he straightened, nodded slightly, and they made their way back towards the apartments. She could hear Liam say something to Nick, but that's when James had spoken up.

" Mr. Abernathy's doing good, Officer. Swear on my life, he is. He helped me get some learning, and he's promised to look after me once I'm out in a big school. " The nerves on the buck were bad, she could tell- he was speaking a mile a minute, wringing his paws. Best to just let him talk, she thought.

" Yeah? " They had reached the front door of the building, and she saw a group of three women minding a group of pre-teens. James knocked on the door, and one of the women came and unlocked it.

A locked door for a communal building? Safety might be an issue here, but it still didn't seem right.

"The pay's good, Officer? " James again, one foot in the doorway. "Good living? " Judy nodded.

"All you need is a high school diploma and a lot of determination. I did it, Officer Wilde over there did it, all of you could do it too. There's a space for small mammals in the force now, trust me, and you'd be welcome there. " She considered for a moment. " Me and Nick could always come and give a little Career Day speech if you'd like- tell everyone, and- " she dug into her breast pocket. "- here's my card. You can call that number when you want us to come and talk. Or if you need anything. Okay? " she widened her smile, and raised her paw for a fist bump. James bumped after a small pause, shaking his head and smiling slightly, before heading inside.

She started her walk back to her partner. Yes, the fist bump was silly, but she wanted them to relax and see her as a down-to-earth person- the badge wasn't going to be seen well out here, she knew. Not only did they have a contact now, but maybe that one kid could talk to the others… Cut back on whatever was happening inside. Just as long as they could get _some_ kids out into better things… But what proof of wrongdoing did they have besides instinct and hunches?

She found Nick and Liam deep in a conversation. Nick had kept his paws in his pockets, and Liam had begun pacing around slightly. "Ain't no reason for you and her to be here, Nick, or ask questions like that. I pay my taxes, I do what work needs to be done, and I take care of all these families. Let me and my kith alone, why don't you? " Liam spit on the ground. " Enough, boy, enough. It's late, let us rest today. "

Nick sighed. " All I asked was how's the mechanics class going here. I'm not saying anything about you teaching them to strip cars. " Nick saw her, nodded, and turned on his heel back to the car. " Good night, Liam. Stay safe. "

Nick was rubbing his face for most of the ride back to the station, staying quiet apart from the occasional mumble she couldn't make sense of. It wasn't until they parked their car back into the station that he spoke up clearly.

"Looks alright from a first glance, " he said. " You go around the block, they've got woodworking, mechanics, I think even some metalworking. But, with Liam organizing it the way he is, it's just a slum lord making his own little niche.

Judy nodded. " He owns everything, right? They pay him rent to keep things going?" Nick nodded, and she continued. "And the kids… are they some sort of eyes and ears?"

Nick nodded again. " Little ones go out and report things back, and you'd be surprised how often they can nick things without people noticing- especially a little doe rabbit or ewe. They get incentives for the more stuff they bring in- money for food, toys, small things that won't cost much. Older ones get to do enforcement and special jobs- that's community watch. To those kids, they're making sure everyone safe, but Liam gets to send a message- 'I'm watching you '. Rent gets collected, people get reminders of who runs things.

Nick paused for a minute, and Judy took the time to absorb what he had said. Clearly, that was all extortion, child endangerment, and obviously a few more. So what was stopping them from just-

"Cops can't do anything because Liam isn't technically doing anything illegal. He's the landlord who's nice enough to give his tenants a free education and jobs within the community- any crime is done by 'bad eggs', and no one's going to snitch on him even if they weren't already feeling indebted to him. He's the thing keeping the community from being worse, from their view. " Nick said, sighing. "And even then, we've got barely any cops patrolling there. No one notices anything. "

" We'll need concrete proof of illegal things, with a warrant. There's the problem." Nick shook his head and walked out the car. " Still, it's better than bothering those little kids again… Progress, at least."

She nodded, pleased that she had gotten something right about their trip, at least. Nick was hopefully happy that things were moving in the right direction, and she was sure together they could get this business done quickly.


	4. Chapter 3-point-5: Making Friends

**Chapter 3.5: Making Good Friends in Bad Places**

 **(A/N): This is a 'halfway chapter' because it's more of a detail-expansion, more than a direct plot advancement. It still helps explain character, though, so I promise it's not fluffy nonsense!**

* * *

Nick decided to slip away and walk around the block for a bit- there might be something in the neighborhood that could act as a lead. And if his suspicions were right, he might find someone willing to talk to a friendly cop… even if it would take a few tries.

Nick knew from the second he stepped onto the commercial block what to expect. Small family stores crammed together on one block, with names like Chappie's Restaurant and Lana's Salon, although by this point, the names had either faded or the lights had burnt out. The owners wanted to make some sort of profit, so discounts were common, and even from his view on the block that more than a few people would sneak out without paying- these stores were so small and with so many people that it was impossible to keep track of them all. Lana's had a line out the door, right now, and Nick took the time to peer through the window. The chairs were missing upholstery, the mirrors had cracks, and there weren't enough seats or any air conditioning. Well, there was an air conditioner, but the thing had stopped running for some time.

Every other building he could see was much the same. Most had a thick coating of graffiti, most in crude black but some in full, varied colors. He could see more than few shattered windows and bent security doors in now-abandoned shops. Pedestrians were walking on chipped and sometimes broken sidewalks covered in brown bags, wrappers, cups, and cigarette butts. Cars cut corners without stopping, and he could see people with their paws protectively over their wallets or purses.

It reminded him of his old neighborhood. The memories coming up were not happy ones.

Nick decided to wait outside the hairdresser's- lots of folk in today, and talking to the right ones meant information. He watched as a few middle-aged men drifted out, headed back to the apartments or Chappie's next door. Some small billy goats, a buck rabbit- most of them didn't look up to talking- they avoided his eyes and walked quickly. At least, most of them did- one buck was digging through their wallet and grumbling. Nick took his chance.

"Short on change, man?" The buck jumped, and the wallet fell on the ground. Nick picked it up and handed it back to him, putting on a small smile. The wallet was basically empty- all Nick could see poking out were receipts, and the wallet had no stiffness to it. That meant an opportunity.

"What's your name?" he stuck his hand out. "Nick Wilde." The buck looked unsure, but took the shake after a second. "James. Did I do something?" Nick shook his head. "I'm just new to the area, and I wanted to know what things were like here. Anything you can tell me?" James frowned.

Nick knew he was taking a risk being that direct- but dancing around the issue and acting fake wouldn't fool anyone- getting down to their level would be best. So he brought out his own wallet.

"How about you show me what the local grub is like? It's on me." _That_ got James to light up- he quickly led Nick to the diner and went to a side window, which Nick saw was a kind of side cafeteria- a few stools in front of a small countertop. An old pig sat behind a counter, tending to some insect wraps in an oven. Seeing James, the pig had gotten a bottle of water from a cooler and placed it on the countertop. He blanched when he saw Nick.

"Officer! I… I paid what I needed to, I swear. Just…" Nick took out a twenty and placed it on the counter. "All I want is some food for my friend here. Get him something fresh, alright?"  
He and James sat on the stools, and Nick spun around slowly. James raised his eyebrow.

"You know," Nick began. "y'all have a pretty nice setup here. I remember when I grew up, we didn't have that many shops open on my block. You had the barber, the community gym, a school… but you guys look like you have a whole self-sustaining thing!" He hadn't seen much, but you can't have all these people and only two open stores…

James looked surprised. "You grew up in a bad neighborhood?" Nick nodded. "Bad enough that getting a uniform for Scouts took an arm and a leg. Had to cut back on spending for a while- one meal a day, you know?" James nodded again. The pig came back, bringing James a platter of some sort of soup. Nick could smell cilantro. James ate slowly, watching him. Nick continued. "Mom did her best, but sometimes other people can screw you over, yeah? So you learn to hustle, get all the deals you can, that way the only one who has a say what happens to you is you."

Nick looked down at his uniform. "And now I'm a cop. Ain't that odd? But sometimes people can show you that there's ways to stay in control of life and still do some good." He hadn't meant to say that much, honestly, but he was feeling sentimental. Maybe he was getting old in his early thirties.

James had eaten a good amount of his soup during Nick's talking, but he had still listened. "Is that why you came down here? You wanted to be some sorta hero?" Nick heard bitterness in that voice, and he felt for James. What had the law ever done here? He had been much the same not long ago.

Nick dug into his wallet, counted out some bills, and placed it on the counter. James stiffened, and Nick nodded slowly. The cash had gone before he could open his mouth.

"You've got a mom, right? Works hard?" A nod. "Yeah. Maybe that'll help. I'm no psychic, but everyone has bills. And what kind of person would I be if I didn't help out a bit?"

James had his eyes narrowed, but Nick had a good feeling. "Maybe I don't want you to be in my position, James. Is that so bad?"

Something broke in James and he hopped off the seat. "You don't know what it's like here, fox. You've no clue!" James pointed at him. "Trying to butter me up, make me think you understand… Bull."

Nick stood up and leveled his gaze. "Then show me so I can understand."

That was the start of it, planting a seed. Maybe it would come to something. They had separated after James had shown him around, and they had met again when he found Judy and Liam. The conflict he saw in James might be what they needed to get a foot in the door.

Slow and steady it was.


	5. Chapter 4: Planning for the End

**Chapter 4: Planning for the End**

Nick sat back into his swivel chair, rubbing his forehead and sighing. He really wanted to leave the station and head home, but his partner still wasn't getting it.

" One more time, partner," Nick said. " I'm going to explain this one more time, I really need you to get this, okay?" Nick sipped at his shake and placed it down on his desk. " One buck on our side is a good thing, I'm not saying it isn't, but we need more than peopleOkay? Making friends all day isn't-"

She frowned." Nick, we're trying to clean things up, right? So we _have_ to make friends," she said, arms crossed. " No friends means no clean neighborhood, that Liam gets to go off and start that whole business over again. I don't want that."

He rolled his eyes, and he could see her frown deepen. " More friends? Those kids, they don't want friends, they want money, they want opportunities," he said. "You can be _nice_ , sure, but most of them want anything that helps them get ahead or make it another day without having to go out and work themselves to the ground for someone else."

She took a moment to stare at him. " Is that how it was for you?" He nodded, and she shook her head. "We can't just… Can we at least _try_ to work with the kids? I don't like the idea of treating them like they're a part of the case."

Nick rubbed his chin. "Okay… James, right? He listens to us, a little bit, but he isn't our friend, partner. He trusts me a little bit, and he probably thinks you're just some crazy bunny, That's a step in the right direction. But we can't sit and talk to him all day. Get me?"

He kept trying to explain things to her, he really did. But Judy, she wanted to do things the mushy way, get everyone to hold hands and make everything better through the power of the people. He admired the earnestness, but that stubbornness wasn't working.

Maybe it would help to take a different tack. Arguing wouldn't help anything, they both knew. And he thought he knew how to do it while still making a point. Well, multiple ones. He was sure she'd listen, she was a smart bunny.

* * *

James made sure to count the steps going up, skipping the eighth and squeezing past the step-ladder in the hallway. Whoever had volunteered to fix the light hadn't done a very good job- the light was missing and the wires hanging out. He shook his head, making a mental note to pick up the slack in the morning. It was a five-second job, what's so difficult about-

"James. Come here a second." James bit his lip, turning around and shuffling his way back down the hallway to Mr. Abernathy. From what he could tell, the old rabbit did not look very happy, what with his eyes all afire (was that the right word?). Those cops must've ticked a nerve, James figured.

"Yes'r?" he straightened as best he could. Mr. Abernathy clapped his paws on James' shoulders. "James, smart-aleck, what were you doing talking to that doe, huh? Trying to make some moves on the law?"

The older buck's voice was light, but James couldn't read the expression in his eyes. He shook his head. "No sir, just thought she seemed like a nice sort. Nice eyes." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And you and Nick talking was getting me nervous, didn't want any part in that, sir."

"James, son, you don't gotta worry about that fox none. That **doe** , see, she's going to try and get into that head of yours, manipulate you, okay? She's seen a handsome young buck like you and she thinks that by getting you all weak in the knees that she can get a clue into how things are here. You get me?" James nodded. The paws on his shoulders squeezed tighter, and he shifted uncomfortably.

Liam smiled, making sure James looked directly at him. Young buck, but he knew enough to listen when it was important. "Good. Your mama has enough to worry about without cops trying to mess things up. Remember what happened to the last guy, when he got nicked?" The boy kept mumbling, but Liam's hearing was still sharp. " We had no one looking out for us." Liam nodded. "No food, right? No one to get you schooling or a job?" James nodded. "Mhm, you all had been eating canned soup for a week, on government dime. And now look at you! Community watch, money to pay rent, and the ladies are saying you take to the learning pretty well." He let go of the boy's shoulders.

"Go home, now. Remember- cute doe or no, remember who's kept their promises so far. She'll want to take you and your kith out to some place that'll neglect you- everyone's the same to them, and they won't take the time to see how special y'all are." He stepped back and made his way to the stairwell. He heard James move back down the other side of the hallway, a door opening and closing, locking.

But, now this new police intervention meant phone calls, favors, most likely bartering. He thought he had an idea of what to do.

Was it dumb to listen to that cop girl? What would she know about anything going on here? James locked the door, pulled the deadbolt (still getting stuck, need to get WD40…), and trudged to his room. Mom had turned in a while ago- he could hear the snoring. He changed and fell into bed, full of thoughts that bothered him.

Officer Wilde… Nick… had talked more than he had expected, and seemed to understand a little bit. That doe had seemed so honest after talking to him, and that smile… No, no, it was stupid! Two cops, making this place better? How could they fix anything? Everyone made money, had a job… And Mr. Abernathy was right- if something happened to him, if he got locked up… All the money would…

But where did that money end up? And what kind of things did he have to put up with here? Those rats, and those other things that came through the back door- they scared him, and he knew whatever they brought with them, and took, led to no good. What Liam had made him and the kids do, the same. Those officers seemed like they wanted something different…

Maybe. But only fools make a decision like that after one nice turn. If they meant well they'd come back. Satisfied, James drifted off to sleep.

Liam shook his head, crossing his arms. "No. If they come in here, they could ruin everything we've worked for. If you do as I ask, then everyone gets to do what they usually do- except these cops will get to do it _away_ from us."

James, bless him, still wasn't getting it through his thick skull. He shook his head again. "She was talking about a good future for all of us, good pay… Most of us have the education, sir, why not let them just come in and speak for a lesson or two?" He rubbed his neck, and straightened up. Liam wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the boy's chest rise.

"Because," said the old buck. "She's talking from the position of someone who got lucky. You know what's gonna happen when… **if** they let you join? They'll put you on a desk and make you slave away answering phone calls from old ladies and fools."

Again, James was shaking his head! "She's from Bunnyburrow! Farm country! If some farm girl can get onto the force, make a good paycheck-"

Liam jabbed his finger into James' chest. "I make ten times what she does, you understand? I could make a lot more if you kept on listening to me. Just take a second and list-"

The boy's mother opened their apartment door, and he could see her peering through the crack. He withdrew his finger and smiled.

" James, look. Just do me one favor, OK? Just slip these-" Liam handed him two small envelopes. "-at the addresses on the paper on the front- make sure to throw that away when you get there. Can you do that? If you do, I'll think about letting her give a little spiel."

James nodded, and tucked the envelopes into his pocket.

* * *

She didn't listen, not to one thing. Which is why they were sat in the curb in the patrol car.

"But this way is so _reactive!_ " he hissed, and continued despite the dirty look Judy shot him. "We could look around, maybe find evidence-". Judy shushed him, and he tried to hide his surprise as James stepped past their patrol car.

"James!" Judy called, and Nick winced- subtlety was gone, great. Nick saw James jump a little, quickly running over. "Hi." he said. She raised her paw for a fist bump, to Nick's confusion, and James accepted it, chuckling a little and shaking his head.

"You came back. Gonna arrest me for being a laborer?" James said. It took Nick and Judy a second to realize he meant loiterer. Nick shook his head. "We wanted to see how everyone was over here- make sure you guys don't need anything." Judy piped up. "And I wanted to see how that speech offer was going- I'd love it if I could talk to you and the other kids. I really want you guys to know that there really are better-"

Nick pinched her arm, and she stopped. Nick spoke up. " Judy wants to show you that smart kids like you have plenty of opportunities. Big-paying ones. If some farm girl can do it, and some fox like me, then you guys are a shoe-in."

James nodded, glancing down at his side before speaking up. " I… I'd listen if you guys were able to prove you meant it." He fixed his gaze on Judy. "Are you going to arrest him if you can?"

They sat silent for a few seconds. He could hear Judy's heartbeat, quick, excited. She answered first.

" If he's taking advantage… Then I won't let him get away with it! You guys deserve better than living in some slum!" Judy sat straight up in her seat, and Nick didn't have to look at her to know she was full of passion. Honest, but would it work?

James regarded the pretty doe carefully, and that look in her eyes, in her whole posture, made him feel… Surprised? Pleased? He took a deep breath, grasping the envelopes in his pocket tightly.

"I…"


	6. Chapter 5: Tiger, Tyger

**Chapter 5: Tiger, Tyger**

The mammal going by the name of Shani had a very enjoyable job. Good pay for good work, and a happy and well-fed family to come home to. Today, the contract work wouldn't last for very long, a few hours at most, and it would be back home to rest. Shani moved the satchel onto the other shoulder, feet tapping against the floor of the train. He wished that things in this city ran more smoothly- they were five minutes behind schedule.

The train reached the station without incident, and a moment was taken to make sure everything was in order. Satchel, watch, phone, wallet, camera… Everything important. The cool night air blowing outside of the station did much to ease the nerves, and luck would have it that a taxi was idling outside of the station hunting for passengers. Squeezing inside and offering cash and directions, Shani mentally went through tonight's schedule.

Tonight, he was to go to one of the older parts of Downtown, visiting a squat, packed, and very old building that had been skipped for gentrification. If memory still served, an ideal location would be the fourth floor, next to the window. It'd be overlooking the hotel as well, so that was an added bonus- good shots could be taken from there. There were a few secondary locations to take a look at, as well, but it wasn't absolutely crucial. All that was necessary was one good spot. It would be done within twenty minutes, get to go home, and enjoy a very nice payday. The joys of being a tabloid cameraman, he thought, smiling a little.

It wasn't a very long drive, around ten and a half minutes. Shani pushed through the front door of the disused apartment building, and decided to take the stairs up to the hotel overlook. The stairway itself curved around an elevator shaft, The stairs were made of very old wood, that much he could tell, Dry wood, too. The hallway floorboards wobbled and creaked audibly as he made his way down towards the windowsill, and the rest of the building didn't look much better- peeling wallpaper and paint, cracked windows, and more than a few nails sticking up awkwardly out of the floor. Every section of this building felt cramped and stuffy, and he was fairly certain that no more than two mammals could get through the hallway at the same time. The stairs would be even slower.

It was perfect.

Shani found the wastebasket in the same place he originally did, near the windowsill overlooking the hotel. Resting the camera on the windowsill, he reached into the satchel to pull out the other necessary part of his plan. Three bottles should do the trick, he figured.

His watch gave the time as 1:30 a.m. when he started, and as 1:45 when he was back outside. He needed to change and visit two more spots, and despite the extra time it had taken him, felt satisfied at the result. He never had to use the camera as a cover, and to him that meant a job well done.

Most people in that apartment block were asleep when the fire started, he knew, although they wouldn't stay that way. The one near the window had started first- the breeze would be blowing directly onto the basket, embers, trash falling on the floor… The corner ones he couldn't see, but he could hear yelling, and that was enough. It would've been worse, but James seemed to have loosened the wrong valves. That was fine. He adjusted himself on the barstool, took another sip of his drink, and oohed and aahed along with everyone else, made sure to gasp when appropriate. Someone called for emergency services within the first few minutes. All he had to do was wait now.

He didn't have to wait long for the right one. He saw a flash of red and grey pop out of a patrol car, took a picture with his cellular, and left with the next crowd of drunk fools.

* * *

Before James had shown up, things had been tense in the car. After the station, they had gone to her apartment, trying to hash out a plan. Nick had gone on about finding evidence and using that to report Liam- after all, he argued, suspicious gang activity and potential threats to minors was probable cause for a search, and physical evidence was much harder to refute. Leaving Liam behind meant letting the cycle start over, he told her more than once that night. But Judy didn't like the flimsy excuse for a search- it'd be much easier to ask for an outreach program in that neighborhood. The kids could give evidence when they were safe, and Liam lost his metaphorical claws. A toothless buck is a harmless one, she felt.

Nick wasn't very happy about that. They had argued for a half hour on which was the right way, ending up nowhere and with headaches. They hadn't spoken much that day. Chief had switched their patrol to the late-night shift for this month, and as had been the custom for a while, they ended it sitting in the slums. James had walked by the usual time, and that's when Judy had given her little 'I'll nab him' spiel.

"I…" James looked hesitant, but they both knew that he was close.

The police radio came alive with activity, and Nick felt himself tense. Judy drew in her breath.

"Code 210. All available units in area, respond and contain until Fire/Rescue."

Arson. That was something new. Judy quickly put the car in drive, and Nick shouted a quick apology to James as they pulled away.

They both hoped he'd understand.

* * *

Nick hadn't seen a blaze like that in quite a while. Half of the apartment block looked to be on fire, and even with them parked across the street he could feel the heat radiating out. He took a deep breath, hearing Judy do the same, and stepped out the car to the crush of a crowd of panicked and angry mammals, smelling of smoke and fear. He heard people calling out for each other, trying to coordinate. He focused on the building in front of him.

The first four floors were burning, as far as he could tell, completely engulfed. He could see smoke pouring out of more windows on the last two top floors, but they didn't seem nearly as bad. But they could get worse, he reminded himself.

Fires like this were good at sending messages, he knew. And for getting people to move into your building and pay rent at 'fair' prices. What could you do when you had nothing left?

Judy did what she did best, getting everyone organized and in a location far away from the blaze and towards building made up of brick- fire risk was lower there. By the time Nick had finished linking up with the dozen or so other officers on the scene, Judy had most everyone out of range, waiting for ambulances and wellness checks. He wondered how she was avoiding getting flattened by all those flailing limbs- good reflexes? He had to keep from tripping over debris as he made his way over to Command.

"Anyone get any info from residents?" Commander Saikia, old wolf as he was, was never in the mood for games. Everyone reporting a lack of intel wasn't taken well, and Nick and the others quickly left to go and question in order to avoid the worst of the shouting.

The commander grabbed his shoulder hard, spinning him around. The wolf eyed him up and down, nodded. "Wilde, you know how to clear a burning building?" Nick nodded slowly. "You're one of the few still out here who can fit on the stairwells- need you to go help out the folks inside until the firemen get here- first two floors are already clear. _Samajh liya?_ " He turned away, and Nick ran off towards the front of the building.

As always, the Zootopia police budget was vast. No one had any fire gear in their cars, not even a rebreather, but Rhodes and Leary had the idea to spray him down with a hose from a neighboring store before he went in. The Department advised at a minimum the use of wet rags to dilute smoke potency, which was why Nick stuffed as many wet rags into his pockets as possible, wrapping them into pairs. He bit down on one wrapped around his muzzle. Judy caught him as he was about to head in.

"Are you stupid?!" she grabbed him and tugged him back. "Don't go alone, you idiot! Wait a second!" Judy quickly got Leary to take over pedestrian containment, had Rhodes spray her down, and joined him on the sidewalk. She made sure that the rag over his muzzle was wet, he did the same for her, and they ran inside.

It was hotter inside than he expected it to be, and he groaned internally when he remembered what month it was. His coat was coming in thick, and waterlogged as he was kept him from lighting embers, but was still going to feel the heat more. That didn't mean he was backing out though, not when there were people he could save. Judy ran ahead to the stairs, and he hurried to keep pace.

They ran up the stairs, taking as many steps as they could at once. He made sure not to touch the wood- it hadn't caught yet, but he could feel the heat from here. He hadn't heard any smoke alarms yet, no sort of sprinklers had gone off, either. But with the crowds of people outside, surely a good amount had gotten out…

They made it to the third floor when they ran into a weasel family trying to make their way out. They both hesitated, until Nick grabbed the mother's hand and led them back down to the entrance. He could hear her kids crying about how they couldn't see, and quickened his pace. On the landing near the first floor, he felt something jab into his foot, and he had to grit his teeth. They made it outside, and he quickly pointed them towards the paramedics before running back inside. One family wasn't enough. More people ran past them, and he winced at how labored their coughing was.

He made it back to the third floor, skidding out of the landing and into the cramped hallway. The smoke was darkening here. He couldn't see any flames, but he knew that every second counted. He quickly ran through, finding a few stragglers, some just old and some panicking. He guided them to the stairwell, having to carry an old beaver down whose legs had given out. Getting through the stairwell was a pain, all of them jostling against each other, but he kept trying to encourage them and hand them wet rags. He ran back after making sure they got out safe. He hustled down the hallway, checking each room- under beds, in bathrooms. He didn't find anyone after the third pass, nor did he hear any banging or shouting. He yelled a few times just to make sure, and not getting any sort of answer, ran on his sore foot up the stairs to the next floor.

That's where he found Judy, arguing with some officers. "-isn't anything left, ma'am! Better to let the fire-boys hose it down and then we can sort it out!" Judy shook her head and adjusted her face-rag. She shoved past them and ran up the steps to the fourth floor. Nick felt the heat grow, and he wasn't sure how much moisture was left in the air at this point. The smoke was getting thicker as well, enough that he was having trouble seeing. He gripped the rag on his face- dry. He quickly switched it with the wrapped one in his pocket. Then he ran after Judy as the other officers ran out.

She was being awfully reckless. She was taking the steps three at a time thanks to those legs of hers, shouting loudly- he recalled hearing it on the stairwell as he had done his third-floor sweep. The rags were helping a little bit, but he could still feel the smoke entering his lungs, and that mixed with the heat left him feeling woozy. He breathed out of his nose hard, placed the rag against his muzzle, and took a deep breath. That was enough to keep him going. He yelled at her to check her hydration, but she was busy running into the fourth-floor hallway.

The wallpaper was on fire here, and stepping onto the floor here, he could feel the wood groaning loudly- integrity was no good. He could see a large flame out of the corner of his eye, even through the smoke, and knew that this wasn't something tenable anymore. Looking for Judy, he found her bracing for a kick against a door at the end of the hallway.

"Judy! Hey!" He had been counting in his head ever since that had come in, and knew that had passed the four-minute mark already. Four minutes was generally seen as the cutoff point for an escape, but he had reckoned that with multiple floors, they had a few more minutes… But with the smoke pure black here…

He grabbed her and shouted into her ear. "Time's up! This floor's toast!" Judy shook her head, pushed him off, and kicked the door. He heard the deadbolt snap back and out of its post, and both he and Judy rushed inside. This would be the last one, for now, and he hoped that it was worth it.

* * *

Nick gingerly placed the young mammal down on the concrete. A paramedic came over and ran through the routine, despite the complaining and efforts to push her away. Nick sighed, and turned back to the police cars. One college student passed out from a night of drinking was still a life saved, Nick told himself. But could they have gotten any more people out?

The firefighters had reached them just as he and Judy had gotten the student out of his room, and had thankfully detached someone to escort them done as they dealt with the main fire. He had heard other teams over the radio fighting secondary ones, and the possibility of one spreading to the hotel. Apparently, he and Judy made it as long as they did because the fire-trucks had been spraying their floor from the outside. Nick hadn't noticed until they pointed out his soaked uniform.

This had all happened in eight minutes, Nick had to remind himself. Not even a half hour before people were sleeping and partying… Now the street was jam-packed full of people with nowhere to go for the night… Families too, and what had he done?

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked up from his soot-covered feet to see his partner staring up at him. Every inch of her was smudged with soot, but the look in her eyes was bright. She was smiling. Why was she smiling?

"We did it, Nick! Tonight you and me were heroes!" She grasped a paw, and he felt her squeeze strongly. "About twelve families on each floor, and you want to know how many we got out on our own? Eight! Dozens of people got out because of us!"

Nick squeezed her hand back softly. Eight families? He took a deep breath, still tasting smoke and ash. "How many did we miss? There were other floors…"

Judy shook her head, and squeezed his hand tighter. "Nick…"

"We could have gotten more, I think, if I hadn't walked people to the front. You could've gotten hurt opening that door, gotten caught in some flashover…"

Judy pointed to the other side of the street. Nick could see mammals milling about, more than a few children and single parents. There were old folks, college students. They were shivering in the cold, both from the wind and the water, covered in debris, but they were still alive.

"They get to see tomorrow because of you, Nick. They wouldn't have if you weren't there walking them out." Nick shook his head slowly. "It's true. And they see you as a hero now, you know- you're the predator that saved a bunch of prey! Do you know what that means to them? To _me?_ "

His ears perked up at that, she could see. Good. "Nick, our job is to protect people! To save lives, be an inspiration! You did that, and in a way very few can! I couldn't be more inspired by you, and I already was when you signed up for the force."

Nick smiled a little, and rubbed his eyes. "We finally did something exciting and useful, huh? There's a whole lot of mammals out here, and I saw you being all gung-ho in there, Officer Hopps. Look at you, taking charge and showing me how it's done."

Judy shook her head. "We did it together, Nick, you and me. I heard you yelling in there, making sure everyone was out- you even found people I missed. If they had stayed there-" She squeezed his hand tight. "You did great. I'm… really grateful I had you in there with me." She managed a laugh. "The fires here are a little different than in farm country. I'd have started digging ditches and calling for water-planes without you." she joked.

Nick wanted to say something, but the coughing fit interrupted him. " Let's celebrate after we get cleaned up, please." They moved towards the ambulances, being swarmed by EMTs.

Tonight hadn't gone how they expected, but they did good. People would rebuild, and if she and Nick kept doing their jobs, people would move onto greener pastures. Just give it time.

"Careful now. Remember Officer Hopps has a very similar building." Nick jumped, not turning in time to catch whoever whispered in his ear. Nick shook his head, and looked back at the crowd of mammals milling in the street.

Day by day. Tonight they had saved lives, and Liam would get his due in time.


	7. Chapter 6: Bite the Bullet

**Chapter 6: Bite the Bullet!**

 **(A/N: We all have reasons for doing things. Sometimes you tell friends things to protect them, right? Keep them safe?)**

* * *

Today the streets were bustling with all sorts of mammals, prey and predators all crunched together and making their way to and fro- Nick felt more than a few people bump into him as he listened to the squat rabbit in front of him. "So it's a left on Renard and Oiche, and then another left on Sturm and Drang? " said the rabbit, scratching his head and peering up at the street signs. Nick nodded and walk with him over to the corner, pointing.

"Mhm. Left and left. It's next to the hotel." Nick waved the buck off, and went back to walking, enduring the bumps and prods and shoves with as much grace as he could muster. He missed being in the squad car at this point.

"Donations for the school drive, sir?" Nick looked down to see a small weasel holding out an envelope, smile on his face. Nick nodded, deciding a twenty was enough (pay it forward, right?), and the kid scampered away after some quick thanks. Nick wanted to give a welcome, but the proceeding coughing fit stopped him from doing much for a minute or two. He wiped his mouth, stood up from the wall, and kept walking.

Foot traffic was getting heavier as people went about their lunch break, and he kept an eye on anything trying to run through- a good time for cutpurses at this hour. Still, a quiet and calm day, so far. Something else to be happy about.

Nick felt grateful for the small mercies. The fire a couple of weeks ago hadn't taken too bad of a number on him- smoke and chem inhalation was something the doctors were still worried about, but otherwise, he had only relatively minor burns and scrapes. Commander had made him take his vacation hours, though, as small as those were. It turned out that Judy hadn't taken any of her vacation hours for the year, and both her commander and Chief Bogo had made sure that she was going to use them up as well, in addition to medical leave. So, she was out the picture for a good while- or at least, she was meant to be. He had a feeling she wouldn't stay that way.

He ambled down the sidewalk, enjoying the wind on his fur. Being out of uniform in the sunshine was something he was still getting used to, and definitely something that he missed. People still recognized him, though, and he had more than a few people wave and say hello this morning. That included the beat officer, Corporal Musarana- the yappiest mouse he had ever met, and that was saying something.

Corporal Musarana was a perfectly nice mouse, sure, but he had a very nosy personality and a bad tendency to not stop talking. Chief had put him on desk work in the back somewhere, but he still found time to walk around and chat up everyone on their desk station every day. Today on patrol as a temp was no different. Nick had the immeasurable pleasure to run into him outside of the café.

Musarana smiled. "Nick! You got some explaining to do about that squad car, man. What's going on?" Nick shrugged. " You gonna explain why you and Judith keep bringing the car back in _after_ your patrol is up? You brought it back in way past time last night." The mouse barely reached his hip, and yet Nick felt as though he was right in his ear. He kept his head turned to the shops, waving at the owners. The mouse continued. " The next shift needs that car, you know. You two aren't allowed to go on joyrides or whatever it is- I saw you having to go talk to Chief a while ago, and you know there are rumors starting, right? Some people are saying that you two-"

Nick let his mind drift to keep his sanity. These past few months on the force, sure, they might not be the same as running a hustle or stopping some plot, but he appreciated the looks people gave him walking down the street- the ladies, they eyed him more than they used to, if that were possible. Even when he was off beat and around the big predators, they'd at least nod at him or wave. That rabbit had come up to him without a second glance, calm as can be, too. The apartment fire had earned him a good amount of love. It was nice to have the public on your side, he thought.

He took a seat outside of a nearby café and took the time to people-watch. He wasn't sure how long that love would last- no one outside of the highers-up at the station and the people outside of Downtown knew much about him, but someone would find out. Judy, she knew a little, but he still wasn't ready to spill everything yet. The right time was still a ways away.

He frowned and started walking again, having forgotten about the mouse still yammering. Focusing on that won't help anything, and he had a plan to enact. Judy would want to get to the bottom of the slum thing, especially after the fire- James had been antsy ever since they left, and he could tell she was feeling worried about losing their lifeline, messing up their chance of doing good. Couldn't let her go in depressed, so that meant his plan.

It was time to be genuinely nice. Keep her happy, he thought, and she'll get through the whole deal much faster. One part of him said it was for a glowing recommendation for detective at the end of the year, and the other was to keep a friend sane. To keep his pride intact, Nick settled on the former.

Hi _dumb bunny. How's the break going?_

 _Hi sly fox! I'm fine, just got_ done  
running _. You OK?_

 _It's a lot quieter without you around. Who am_  
I supposed _to talk to out here?_

 _Those girls that keep staring at you?_

Nick furrowed his brow and looked up. Sure enough, there was a gaggle (a gossip? A huddle?) of young ladies- a vixen, a ewe, and two doe rabbits- eyeing him a few tables away, sipping their drinks and whispering. Now that he thought about it, he'd seen them every time they stopped in for lunch. One of them gave a small wave, and he waved before turning back to type.

T _hey'll give up one of these days. Anyways,_

 _are you busy around 5 or 6 tonight?_

 _No. Why? Needed to get your daily fix of me? :3_

 _Sure. Just want to keep an eye on my partner,_  
 _is all. Can't have you falling apart missing me!_

Was that too obvious? Maybe it was too obvious. But what could he do now except bite the bullet?

He swore the next part made him feel slightly emptier inside.

 _I just can't wait to hear about how the books are_

 _going! And your shows! :)_

 _… Did you lose a bet? :3_

 _No! You know being around you is my_  
 _favorite part of the day, Judy! :3_

The mammal who had thought of all-or-nothing was a moron.

Judy knew something was wrong. She wasn't sure what had come over Nick, but it must've been something big. There had been two emojis used in the last three minutes, and that was two more than she had ever seen him use. His texts have never consisted of more than " I'll be right there" and "see you soon" Her brow furrowed, and she began typing out her reply, calmly.

 _NICK! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE DRUNK IN PUBLIC! WE HAVE AN IMAGE TO KEEP UP._

 _HONESTLY. ONE DAY I LEAVE AND YOU GO AND DO THIS TO ME. I_  
 _THOUGHT THAT YOU NEW BETER THAN THAT._ I'M _VERY MAD RIGHT NOW, NICK_.

 _I'm not drunk! I just_

 _I just wanted to make your vacation_  
 _nicer. I want to make sure you're_  
 _stress-free._

….

Nick hurriedly sent a selfie, running his paws up and down over himself to make sure he looked presentable. He thought he heard one of the girls offer to help him out.

 _See? Prim and proper._

 _Good! See you at six!_

Nick closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with both paws and resting his elbows on the table, stifling a sigh. On paper, it was a good idea, and here he was feeling like he lost a part of himself. And what was that, her just cutting the conversation off like that? He wasn't done talking to her!

He glanced at the time on his phone.

Hours to go! What was he supposed to-

He heard the chair scrape back and someone sit themselves down.

" Hello, Officer Wilde! I've really been wanting to talk to you!" His guest chuckled and took a long sip of their coffee.

Nick leaned back in his chair and tried to smile. This would do.

* * *

Judy put the phone down and picked her book back up, trying to pick out the right paragraph. Jack had found out where Laura was being held, and she was sure that _this_ time was the actual climax, no more stalling or red herrings… Oh, but there was still the whole drug addiction arc to go through! Would Jack get over his painkiller addiction before it got the best of him? She wasn't keen on reading through another book for that- the last book spent half the time with him on a farm, planting wheat.

No need to worry about Nick until six. He'd seen her place before, why worry about it now? It wasn't like he was mentally judging every single speck of dust or lack of any food-

The next hour was spent cleaning.

* * *

Nick hated her apartment, honestly. It may have been the lack of anything he would call fun, or the lack of good food, it might have been the noisy neighbors constantly screaming next door. He hadn't decided which he hated more. At least the place was kept pretty clean.

He counted the steps over to the other side of the apartment- thirteen. Wonderful. Looking around, it was the same rectangular box with a bed and a desk- no paint, no posters, a few corny family photos... It all looked the same as last time. He glanced at her desk, and noted the scattered notes from work, random bits of food and drink scattered everywhere, sappy romance novels, thrillers- books that he expected her to read, and others that he wasn't sure she intended to leave out. But worst of all, the real criminal element, was the lack of a TV. Did she do anything fun besides hang out with him?

He took a seat in her chair. **"** Wow, boss. I can tell that pay raise really gets you the good stuff. I was sure this time we'd be doing more than streaming on your laptop. At least it's cleaner than last time."

Judy had sat on her bed, ears now red and sounding slightly defensive. " I'm saving up for something nice, Nick. Something worth a lot more than some TV- and you've never complained about watching movies with me." She knew that was a small lie, but he didn't complain. Verbally.

He picked up one of the books from her desk, and flipped through the pages randomly. "Want to tell me about these for a bit? I forgot my copy, sorry, but I remember that Jack and Laura got caught in some trap again… Right? Or that Jack was fighting his thirty-second relapse…"

Judy shook her head. "Trap, Nick. Here, let me explain the entire book over to you again-" she grabbed the book and turned to the first page. "-page by page."

He knew she wasn't serious. There were good places to go eat nearby, and he was sure that the second Jack Savage movie had come out. Wouldn't she want to do that instead?

Apparently not. He wanted to bang his head on the desk at this point. She was still sitting on her bed going over the second character arc for the third ex-henchman.

He rubbed his head. " Did you really have to print out fact sheets for every character and chapter?" She threw him the third sheet, and he watched it flutter to the ground between them. There was a nice pile now, and she still hadn't noticed. " I got yelled at because everyone thought I took all the paper, you know! You owe me!"

" So Gabriel has this really great redemption arc, where he takes Jack's offer to help out him and Laura, and lands the final blow on Byron…"

He asked if they could do something else an hour later. That was the wrong thing to do.

* * *

" Humberto! But you've been in a coma for an entire week! How did you get here?" Emilia la Cabra de Aguirre dramatically shrieked, hooves raised to her mouth, and ran over to her second-favorite lover Humberto Chucho Garcia, the ruggedly-handsome and charming super-spy with a drinking problem and a heart of gold. The laptop made the sound tinny, but Judy didn't seem to care.

"I got better, Estella. Your love showed me the way back to reality- although looking at you now-" he cupped her face awkwardly in his hooves "- I feel as though I'm still dreaming; You're too beautiful to be a reality. "

Nick fought the urge to gag, and winced as he felt Judy grab his arm and squeeze, squealing (even while coughing! How?!) like some preteen. He rubbed his head and put on his best smile. "Judy… remember I've got sensitive ears… " he told her, sweetly, for the third time that night. She nodded absentmindedly, eyes still glued to the laptop screen.

She didn't listen. Not during the soap opera, not during the comedy reruns- it took leaving for food to get her in any sort of calm mood, and even that was temporary. He fell asleep that night with his ears still ringing and a sore side, but he was sure that Judy had gotten her hyperactivity out of her system. Tomorrow would be better.

Tomorrow was not better. At least, it didn't start better, but after a while they'd come to an understanding.

"Nick? "Judy had said hesitatingly, holding up the last DVD from the pile. "Do you… Do you want to watch an action movie? " He had nodded, gone 'mhm', and that had gone… fine…, but it wasn't until the final action scene of _Cry Hard 3: Electric Boogaloo…_

"Just shoot him!" He had eaten the last of the popcorn, and his ears were still aching- he wasn't in the mood for any more stupidity from this movie. " The gun is _right there!_ Jump behind the desk, and- "

He jumped when Judy yelled in his ear ("Just look down! No more talking!"). Her paw fell off his shoulder and they both took to pointing at the gun lying just a few feet away from Jean-Claude van Hamme. Next to some _very_ good concealment… But no, Hamme had dived and taken the shot. Sure, Blonde Bimbo made it out, but it was a very sloppy shot, and he avoided-.

Oh, but Judy had started talking. She looked content, which meant the plan was working, thankfully.

Judy sighed, and leaned her head back onto the wall. "That was good, huh? That one had some very good special effects, Hamme actually tried in this one, too- remember the second one? - and we got more of the backstory…" He saw the time from the wall clock in the corner of his eye- 1:30 in the morning.

Judy stretched her legs out. "Thanks, Nick. Today was a nice boost to my mood." She flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes for a second. "I needed this."

She heard him shift off the bed, and she opened an eye to see him leaning over her, close enough that she reflexively pushed her head back into the bed. " Judy," he said, his voice soft and low. "I need a really big favor from you. I'll pay you back with _whatever_ you want, I promise." He smiled slightly.

She swallowed. " What kind of favor?" He leaned closer, and she couldn't help but note the smells- cinnamon, violets… His eyes were a very nice shade of green right now, and they had so much life in them with him smiling like that..

She shook her head slowly, and Nick laughed. "All I need you to do, Jude, is promise me to stay safe during your vacation. Don't take risks, okay? Let those little lungs rest."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you actually want?"

"Simple!" He raised two digits. " Leave Liam alone, and remember that this slum business should be left to the professional." He pointed at himself. " Alright? Fox knows best. Country bunnies aren't ready for the slums. "

She opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke over her. "Listen to me, Judy. I'll owe you any sort of favor you want. Please?"

He wouldn't leave her alone if she said no, so she nodded, and Nick stood straight. "If only you had space for me to sleep… I guess I'll see you?" he hadn't meant to make it sound like anything, but the look on her face made him feel like he was missing something, She pulled him into a tight hug, and he had squeezed back, promised to see her soon, and headed out into the hallway.

He didn't like leaving, of course, but he had errands to run.

* * *

He knew that his little spiel was a bit much, but that was the point- get her off her game and she'd be less inclined to argue. Although he doubted she would listen. But he still had a good feeling about it all.

He avoided her gaze as she slowly locked the door, and waited until he heard the deadbolt and lock click into place to head outside. Part one of the errand was easy- all he needed was coffee from the gas station, and Gerald knew to expect him around this time. He left a five buck tip and left to start part two.

He took his seat at the bus stop across the street from her apartment, grateful that this one was covered and had a backing for him to rest his head against. Tonight was quiet, thankfully, beyond the last of the partiers dragging their way back home. He took a sip of the coffee and waited. The coffee would keep him up long enough, and the vacation time meant he had time to sleep in this morning.

Tonight remained just as quiet as it had been for the past week, but how could he know? One slip up, and…

He was watching the main entrance, and he knew that her window was too high up to scale to, not with the brick outside, and the back entrance was locked tight. Judy could take care of herself fine, he knew, but that's not why he was sitting out here tonight.

His… friends… had told him that Liam had trouble getting resources to make another push. Soon enough, he would get desperate- or cocky- enough to come and find Nick himself- he knew Liam had enough to keep tabs on him. If the meeting earlier today had been honest…

Liam took a seat on the bench, right next to him. Nick took another sip of his coffee, keeping his eyes trained on the apartment block door.

"So. You gonna keep on assuming something is going to happen, Nick? You think I can afford someone good enough to take down the famous Judy Hopps?" Liam laughed quietly. " I launder, I extort, I threaten. When's the last time you heard of me hiring killers?"

Nick tapped his chest. " I inhaled plenty of smoke during that arson of yours. That's something you don't do either, right?" Liam sighed, and Nick could see him lean forward, elbows on his knees.

"You two are an **annoyance** , Nick. Trying to turn my boys against me- James is a tough one, and no matter what I do he's still fighting for that damn speech your little partner wants to give, talking to everyone else and getting them all _hopeful_." Nick heard him breathing through gritted teeth. " I haven't done anything yet, and that's because I still know how to be kind. **Leave me alone** , and I swear on my reputation as a businessman that she won't come to any harm. You neither."

Nick sloshed his coffee around in the cup. Half gone already. He spoke slowly. " You threatening a police officer, Liam? That could get you behind bars, you know. Wouldn't want that." Liam snorted. " I'd be out in a few weeks at most- that's what happens when you know the right people."

Nick turned to look at him. "Some pathetic slum lord like you knows people? As far as I knew, you lost a lot of territory to that group in the Savannah, and I know that the boys in Sahara and Rainforest has been nipping at your heels- just some small piece of prey getting chewed out by the big predators." Liam had opened his mouth to rebuke him. " **No.** You listen to me, Liam. Me and my little partner being there for- what, a month or so?- and we've already scared you into action- you're being cornered by rookie cops, reacting and hoping for the best. Nothing you've done shows me you know the right people, and that's a shame. I expected better from someone with twenty years in this business. "

With the street empty of all but them, Nick could clearly smell a mixture of anger and fear. Good. Liam had risen up to his feet now.

"Don't make me laugh, boy! I've got people to call on, don't doubt that! All I have to do is make one phone call, and you'd get crushed by one of Adisha's boys, you and that doe!" Liam was shouting now, and Nick felt the spittle hit his face. " Panya, you know her? One call and that's it! Dead in your sleep!"

Nick put down his coffee and stood up, looking down at Liam and staring into his eyes. The fear in those blue eyes was clear now, and Nick smiled wide enough to show his teeth. " Remember, Liam!" Nick kept his voice cheerful. " You've got dirty cops and contacts, sure, but what'll happen if you make those calls? After you call those favors in, you'll have no one to protect you when the cruisers swoop in to clean up the cop-killers, and all those weaker gangs you've left alone will want a piece of the pie. Careful now. We've got some very mean predators on our force, you know."

Liam straightened himself. " You… I remember who you used to be, Wilde. That pay you get isn't too good, is it? Just let me be and I can ease that pay gap, charitable donations from a private citizen."

Nick sipped the last of his coffee. "I could go call Adisha for you, tell her you're ripe for the picking now that you're so focused on me… Or did you forget who I used to work for?"

Nick ignored the threats and bluster as Liam left. He sat back down and closed his eyes.

It took a good while for his paws to stop trembling, and the coughing fit that came didn't help his nerves. Information had been gained, good, but how much of it was true and how much of it was a bluff?

" There's my favor, Nicholas. Shall we go? " His next appointment had arrived- or had been skulking, Nick knew.

Nick took a deep breath, sighing and standing. " Off to the boss then, Shani."


	8. Chapter 7: Working Alone

**Chapter 7: Working Alone**

 **(A/N: One of the most interesting things to me is how people act when they're alone, or out of their element, or emotional. These next few chapters will hopefully reflect that well. Feel free to roast me if it doesn't.)**

Judy couldn't quite believe it. Nick hadn't come into work for a week now, and there wasn't a peep from him- no calls, no texts, no notices from anyone in the department. Nothing more had passed by her desk than reports to complete.

The higher-ups had let her back to work on the condition she did desk-work until the hospital gave her the OK to do more strenuous things. Which meant she had plenty of time to fume at her partner.

Trying to get her to stop working, making it seem like he could do it all on his own… That wasn't something she wouldn't let sit at all. She wouldn't have made it this long on the force without knowing how to get things done, and she could do something useful in her spare time - instead of waiting for her truant partner to come back with some sort of excuse, with that same smug smirk... She wasn't going to give up again, especially not when she had a potential to do some tangible good.

It'd be off to see James tonight. She was going to get things done and show that fox how wrong he was.

* * *

"How much this month?" he asked, his voice coming out high and reedy. His hands dug into the handrag on the counter, and he scrubbed the counter a little harder than he really needed to. James could never get why he made Charlie so nervous. " I paid a grand last month, and that was a 5% increase from the month before- don't tell me I have to-"

John spoke up first. " How much did you make this month? We'll go from there and try to be nice." He glanced around the café, noting the large amount of patrons sitting huddled in booths, eating quietly. The bar had emptied out, but James knew that it made a good amount of money too. " You've done well this month, lots of folks in here right now, and it's only 2 p.m. Mr. Abernathy only wants enough to keep the improvements coming."

James remembered what John had told him to say. " No need to let things get worse, right Charlie? We just want to keep you in the neighborhood. Not paying means you and the family end up on the street, and that wouldn't be no fun." Charlie had started stuttering at that, James unsure why that was- all he was doing was telling the truth. Not like there was anything else he could do if he lost the restaurant.

Charlie hesitantly reached into the register, and started counting out bills, glancing up and John and James often. John shook his head when Charlie tried to offer him what he had taken from the register, and they had argued for a bit, until Charlie eventually went to the back and brought back stacks from his safe. James was glad to see that his last job here hadn't been noticed- no complaints about missing cash.

They left with a more weighty bag than they had come in with, John grinning slightly as they walked up the sidewalk. " Think Boss will give us a percentage this time?" James shrugged. " Only if we reach everyone today. So we have to be quick."

They decided to split up to save time, and James made his way down to the service shops. The streets were empty enough that he had time to let his mind drift, which also meant that he had the misfortune to bump into a lady headed in the opposite direction. He gave a quick apology, helping her up and realized that the officer had come back- but this time she was all alone, and looking a lot less of a cop out of her uniform. That gave James pause. Something was up.

She smiled at him, her eyes lighting up in a way that made him smile back unconsciously. "James! Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you all those times- work was getting hectic, and we had to go and help some people from a fire, then we had to go to the hospital…" He felt his paws clench around his satchel.

"Hospital?" James asked. " Jeez, I didn't think that fire would do all that, but at least you look alright."

Judy's mind raced. He had to know something… " We're alright, and a lot of mammals got out before anything got too bad. But, James, I… I would really appreciate it if…"She shook her head, frowning. What would someone wanting information say? She was here for a reason…

She straightened up and gazed firmly at a confused James. " I have a feeling that Liam was behind it, James. That fire hurt a lot of innocents- old people, even kids-" James bit his lip, eyes widening, and her heart sunk. But she couldn't stop without making progress. "- and I really want to help everyone get closure. You have an idea why that fire started, right?"

She heard the patter of feet nearby, and did her best to relax her posture, slipping her paws into her pockets and looking around as confused as she could be. It wasn't hard, considering she still wasn't sure about anything in this neighborhood. James quickly turned up the street, heading towards a number of brightly-lit buildings. Unsure if he wanted her to follow, Judy kept her distance, mindful of any noises coming from behind.

The streets here were awfully unkempt, she was noticing. Old cups, paper bowls, newspapers, glass bottles littered the street. The sidewalks had more cracks in them than she had ever seen, and more than once she had to step over gaps in the concrete. It definitely wasn't Downtown, and she shook her head after considering that many mammals considered this normal.

James entered a laundromat, and Judy paused briefly before entering. She slipped between two rows of washing machines, balking a moment at the dials and settings- not even the ones in her building were this old.

She knew she couldn't stand there forever, not with the owner noting her entrance and the group of goats and rabbits down by the end of the row. She had to think quickly…

" Need help, miss?" An old ram had come up beside her, and she smiled. " I'm not used to these old machines, sir." she told him. "Could you show me? " The ram nodded, and Judy felt her heartbeat slow back down as he went through the various settings.

" You must be from that apartment fire a little bit ago." The ram's voice was sympathetic. " What a shame- so many families came flooding in at once, trying to find something to keep their kids warm." He sighed, and Judy nodded in agreement. " I'm glad Liam was able to come through again- More than a few said it was an upgrade from the last place."

" It- what?" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. " But the- our apartments there, they were nothing special, barely more than a box." The ram huffed.

"From what I heard, those apartments have always been a tinderbox waiting to go up. Here, not one fire has got out of control, we ain't ever lost anyone to some burning trash." He moved back from the machine. " You don't think your apartment is alright here? One of the boys can help you fix it up, if you want. Johnny's pretty good with woodworking, and James always did have a knack with tools…"

Judy opened the lid of the washer. " Oh, I didn't know. I never did get a proper welcome when I came into the neighborhood. I, um, I never even got a key to get back into my block!" She realized that she didn't have any actual laundry with her. The ram had noticed too, and she could see the growing confusion on his face.

"Oh, cheese and crackers!" She stamped a foot, and frowned, hands on hips. " All that rush to come over here and save a spot before it got busy and I didn't bring a load with me." She looked dumb, she knew, but maybe they'd take pity on some dumb, young bunny. Who'd suspect that?

"And you don't have a key to get back in? Well, just knock and tell them your room number. They got the registry inside, and they'll know your face." She nodded, the ram leaving after she thanked him for all the help. She peeked around the corner of the machines, hoping to see James…

But he had left. She thought of her options, trying not to focus on the panicked thoughts forming. Dumb and lost, looking for help? Maybe… The new kid in town wouldn't be cocky. So she went up to the cashier with her best lost gaze. " Excuse me, ma'am?" The sheep behind the counter grunted. " Did you see where that rabbit went, with the bag? He- he was showing me around, and I really need to find him before I get lost…"

Apparently James had headed up the street. Cursing herself for not looking up the street first, she headed outside and ran ahead to try and catch a glimpse. But all she could see were bunches of kids headed out the block. No James, and she had no clue of how to get past the front door…

She went up the block until she was a few feet away from the group of kids, recognizing a few of them from when she first came here with Nick. Sitting on a bench and trying to ignore the various cigarette butts, she took a moment to collect her thoughts.

There were so many things to keep track of! She could try and find James and persuade him, see if these kids got into anything suspicious like Nick had told her, beg someone on the street to help her inside…. She crossed her arms and bit her lip, feet tapping slowly.

She needed to get evidence to pin on Liam. No one spared her a second glance, so she wasn't worried about being snitched out. She had scared James off, and all she knew at this point was that people from the fire had moved in… Could she get them to help her? Would they remember her, and would that blow her cover? It's not like the animals around here would want to trust someone they didn't know into the building. Liam could just be walking around and that would be the end of it… Even without that risk, she couldn't keep up the charade forever, and eventually, she'd let something slip, everything had just been luck-

She shook her head. Worrying about what could happen wasn't going to help her. Running away wouldn't help anyone and she'd lose the little bit of momentum she gained today. She was smart enough to be top of her class, she could do this. No need to run away and sulk. No need to wait for someone to show her the way.

She flicked a cigarette butt off the bench and took a deep breath. One step at a time.

She was a lost, dumb bunny just trying to get back home and learn what her new neighborhood offered. A cute bunny like her could make a lot of friends quick, just had to be follow the clues.

Just take it one step at a time, don't lose momentum. The night was still young, she thought to herself. I can do this. Mistakes are just a chance to learn, don't give up now.

* * *

" Oh yes, much nicer here. Safer, food is local, jobs for the kids…" the weasel glanced back at the apartment behind them. " It doesn't look like anything much, right? But that landlord really pulled out all the stops for us."

Judy crossed her arms tighter. " I'm surprised the city didn't step in to help us out. We all deserve better than to be forgotten about after losing our homes." She didn't slip up this time, she thought, pleased.

The weasel- Barbara- had come out of the building to do laundry. Judy offered to help her with the basket and they'd been walking back down to the laundromat.

Barbara snorted. " Judy, listen. Talking is free, action takes effort, and in this case, money. I was promised shelter, food, but the officers at that fire- all I got was a checkup by EMTs and promise after promise. That buck that runs this place, he came through the day after promising homes, and look where we are."

Judy nodded sadly. " Things have gotten better for you and your kids here, huh? Barbara nodded, and Judy was struck by an idea. "What do they have your boys doing for work? I know that there's programs for the kids…"

Barbara tilted her head back the way they had come. "There's the mechanics class over there, in that old garage- the boys love that. They come home yammering on about all these parts that I've no clue about. Keep talking about how they can eventually make lots of money, too."

" They don't want to go to school? They might fall behind." Judy said, concerned. Barbara shook her head. " They weren't getting much from school, Judy, and here they have a chance to make good money quick. Or is school the only way to be someone?" Judy quickly denied it, and they made their way into the laundromat, settling their baskets on a table.

"Thanks for talking to me, Barbara." Judy said. " I might have to check out that class. I- I've got a couple people who are interested in what they can do here." They traded numbers, Judy explaining that she had yet to fully get all her stuff in to her new apartment and was still living with family until then, and parted ways.

No one had recognized her from the fire- too much smoke and noise, she figured. If she could keep getting bits of information from people, maybe get them on her side…

* * *

"You want to do what now?" The rat scratched his head. " I don't know what that is."

" Audit," said Judy. " I want to, um, sit and watch you guys work. Someone told me about this class and I wanted to see what it was like."

The rat- Bernard- shrugged and let her pull a stool to the corner of the room. He made his way back to the front, to a table with a large engine on it, or at least what looked like the main hunk of one. Judy had no clue what to make of any of the scattered parts around it.

Kids had shuffled in while she and Bernard spoke, and a few stragglers drifted in as the lecture started. Bernard went over what made the engine fire, combustion, how the heat was regulated, how to remove and replace parts… Judy saw more than a few taking notes on small scraps of paper.

Bernard would pull pieces up out of the pile, explaining how they made the engine tick, every now and again someone would come from the back room, bringing out a part that was noticeably cleaner than the others. " This," Bernard would say. " is the part that causes the engine to…", and the children would nod. He would tell them the make of the car, how to replace it, and how to dispose of extra parts. "Bring any spares back to the shop," he'd say. " That way if anyone comes in needing repairs, we can help them get everything fixed without a problem."

Judy raised her hand, and Bernard nodded at her with a small smile on his face. "So," she said. " Where are we supposed to get spares from? What cars?" Bernard pointed at a poster on the wall she hadn't noticed before, full of color photos of very nice cars- most she saw on a daily basis.

"The lady asked a very good question, boys." said Bernard. "See, those cars a few blocks from here, some of them don't run too well- you can hear the engine knocking, maybe the muffler isn't soaking up noise, things like that. You see something like that, you gotta be proactive- bring back parts you think are defective, and we'll fix it up for them. All those folk have to do is pay for installation costs, and their car is better than ever."

Some kids looked unsure, one speaking up about it being illegal. Bernard shook his head. " Think of it as us bringing attention to issues the owner hasn't noticed- we're doing them a service! They're all too busy trying to make more and more money, while we have to scrape by and serve 'em! And, only way you can get in trouble is if you get caught. So stay smart, and if you do well enough, I promise you there's bonuses for you and your parents."

Most of them had settled down after that, and their ears were perked up high at the mention of bonuses. The class eventually ended, and Judy decided now was a good time to head home. Walking out a few blocks, she called a taxi and tried to sort through everything.

Had she made progress? Maybe. She had more names, one idea of Liam's operations… But some people _liked_ being there. That's something that bothered her throughout the night. She would have to keep digging.


	9. Chapter 8: I Forgot to Remember

**Chapter 7.5: Just Want You Safe**

"I think the movie'll be good, though. They've got that Zootropolis guy on it- Harry Thompson? Thornton? Who's that actor?" Nick sipped at his blueberry shake, sighing contentedly and glancing over at his partner.

"You alright, Carrots? You look all sad." Judy kept her eyes low, and he poked her lightly with his paw. She shifted away, not saying a word. They kept on walking down the block, Nick enjoying the chance to stretch his legs after a night of books and odd shows. The shake had come out good this time, and it had just stopped raining, leaving that nice wet smell… Let Judy stew for a bit- she'd talk on her own when she wanted to.

Although it seemed like that would take a while, after ten minutes of walking in circles around the block. She'd just sigh and look at him all tired. Talking a bit more might get her to snap out of it.

"Ashley and Thom wanted to go see the new Savage movie with us, you know…. Do you wanna go? Or at least go bowling with them after? I bet I can get the top score again, and maybe if you let me win I'll owe the city's hero another favor..."

She focused on walking, paws in pockets and head down. He stopped her pacing after the third time around the block.

"What's up? Did they mix up your shake again? I can go and talk to her if you want…" Not a peep from her. " Hey, don't be moody. I know that the ending for that last movie was pretty sad, but it's just-"

"I'm allowed to be moody, Nick," she snapped. You-" she shook her head. " I've been noticing, you've either been acting weird or you want me to do something different on the case. You tell me I'm wrong, or that it's not a big issue…" She walked ahead of him a little, rubbed her face, then turned back around. "I just… I've supported you, even when we had that fire, and you always took things in a negative way…"

Nick sloshed his drink around, leaning against the brick wall of the apartment. " You want to know why?" She nodded. "Because more time spent sitting in that car- in that **_cop_** car- and trying to make friends with some uneducated kids that won't help you, that's more time for someone to come and try to hurt you, or for the whole thing to end up a waste. So, best case, is for you to wise up and learn what the right path is."

She scowled, stomping up to him. " And what's the right path? Huh? Give up? You don't tell me-"

Nick sighed. " Look, partner. I just want…" He shook his head. "I don't want you in over your head. You're… not used to this sort of thing, is all."

" But I _can_ get used to it, Nick," she said. " and you having my back on my case would make it go a lot faster."

They'd been quiet for a while after that, eventually heading back to her place to finish watching their movies. It had gotten better after the action flick, and he told her again just to be safe, and now he was back with old friends.

 **Chapter 8: I Forgot to Remember to Forget**

The car stunk. Nick had to keep the window rolled down to keep from coughing.

" Officer Wilde, you've got to tell me about that lovely lady-friend of yours. Officer Hoops, yes? Hooper, Hoppe?" The muskrat now going by the name of Shani gave him a hearty grin, keeping an eye on the road as he slowly moved the car into the turn-lane. Nick had never understood where he'd get these odd names.

Nick smiled. " Judith Hopps, she calls herself. From the Burrow, one of those with a soft heart and a fire in her belly. Wants to give everyone a fair shake, all that."

Shani laughed, reminding Nick of memories that he thought had been forgotten. " Wilde, I'm sure that you've had a hand in inspiring many things in that girl. You always did have that certain charisma."

Nick grunted noncommittally. " Hopps is a driven one- Adisha is definitely going to have a challenge on her hands if Hopps keeps digging. She's going to find the connection with Abernathy eventually, you know. She's a quick learner."

Shani raised an eyebrow. " She knows about the, eh, exchange program and meetings already?"

Nick watched the road start to narrow, the large dividing walls between districts coming up. He peered out the window, and he could just about see the North Star… The Rainforest District then? Made sense.

He focused back on his driver. " She has a contact on the inside of Liam's dealings- a buck named James-" Shani nodded thoughtfully "- she's planning on getting to talk inside, try and get an eye on what's going on. She's smart enough to know what to look for. "

Shani sighed. " Do you know how long it took me to get all those kids together, make Liam big enough to actually be a noticeable threat? Adisha will not be very happy if anything happens."

" And I'm the one that's supposed to tell her and sit around, in exchange for your favors these past few months?" Nick felt his paws grip at the center console, his stomach tighten.

The muskrat nodded, his amber eyes cheerful. " She's very happy to see you again, you know. Expect a very warm welcome for the homecoming of our, eh, lost sheep."

They passed through the district crossing without incident, and Nick tried to keep track of street names, where they turned. By the time they pulled into the driveway, Nick had lost count of the number of turns made. But it was Vine and something.

Shani stepped out, with Nick following. He knocked thrice on the wooden door, the answerer not visible at this time of night- the moon was hidden, the outside lights off both meant no night-vision. But Nick could still smell, and he smelled a rat. Lots of them.

It was a fairly large house, once he was inside and could see properly. The ceiling wasn't nearly as close as he was used to. Looking back at the front door, he could see two sets of door handles, one built for tiny prey nestled low in the doorframe and others for the big predators farther up. It'd be comical to him if his mind wasn't focusing on who the big handle was for.

" It's a beautiful place you all have here, you know. Lots of paintings, lots of plants..." Nick said. Whoever had designed the interior had horrible taste- most of the art was abstract and from no-name artists, there weren't any pictures or paint on the walls, and more potted plants than any person would realistically have- some tables in the hallway had nothing but plants on it. Wasn't that unnecessary, considering most of outside was nothing but plants?

Shani walked him down a hallway towards an open door near the end, and a bevy of smells hit him all at once, more than one of them making him wrinkle his nose. But one of them stood above all the rest, still familiar. Nick took a deep breath, feeling and fighting the familiar ache in his lungs.

They turned into the open room, and the first thing Nick registered was the sweeping of a long, black tail. His eyes fell to his feet almost instantly, and he mentally kicked himself. He stared back up into the amused eyes of Adisha, speaking loud and clear.

" Hello, Adi. I'm back. Shani hasn't lost his touch, I see. "

The big cat hadn't changed much, now that he had a clear look at her. A black-pelted panther, green eyes which had always seemed to alternate between happiness and scrutiny. The clothes she wore were simple, and one earring had been as much fashion as she desired. But that wasn't the worrisome thing. She was a predator with sharp claws and sharper teeth. That was enough of a threat to keep anything smaller than her compliant.

But Nick wasn't prone to scraping and kowtowing anymore.

" Nicholas," she said, smiling. " You left without giving a proper goodbye. Was it really necessary for me to send my second out to give you a nudge back home?" This was the usual with her- acting all teasing and soft-spoken. She'd show her true self after a few more days of being here, he knew.

Nick kept his gaze steady. " It was a small break, is all- if I didn't want to come back, I wouldn't be here right now, right? I got what I needed out of my vacation. "

She tilted her head. Shani had joined a gaggle of rodents by her feet, he noticed. More than a few rodents, actually- more than he could count, beady-eyed and with a hunger he didn't want to think about. " So a vacation means taking the time to join the police, stop a coup? How does that work, now?"

Nick fought the urge to tuck his paws in his pockets. Not in front of the boss, he knew, too many twitchy paws around- rats and other small mammals, sure, but he knew the little bit of claw they did have were sharp.

" The police roped me into helping out- Hopps did, to be more specific. I had to help her to get out of a bad situation, and I stayed to get as much information as I could. Things that I could bring back and share with you, Adi. "

She nodded. " Hmm. I heard that you two have been getting close- I've heard everything from friends to lovers. " she tilted her head. " I remember you being a charmer, but to possibly go and rope in some prey…" No need to rise to the bait, he told himself.

" You know I'm very good at convincing people." he answered coolly. That was true- Judy was still none the wiser, something that left him disappointed. He thought she was smarter than that.

But Adisha looked pleased. " I could use another police officer on my side, especially someone with your skillset, Nicholas- or have you forgotten them already? "

He smiled. " It's always nice to put my skills to use for a good payday. " Adisha had him sit by her feet, telling her of everything he could, ever since he had left. She didn't interrupt him once, only occasionally whispering to sycophants and assistants perched nearby. He knew that he'd be a guest here for a while, until they were sure he wasn't a snitch. But they wouldn't find anything on him.

He remembered this feeling, this part of him, creeping up. He thought it was gone after the Bellwether incident, but here he was feeling that sense of greed, the thrill of having a chance at a big reward.

Here, he had access to much more than a dirty hovel and weekends spent with a farm-girl rabbit. It would not be difficult to slip back into old habits, not when he could see the job offers and rewards in his mind's eye. But it would be very much worth it, he knew.

That night, as he bedded down in one of the many guest rooms, memories came back stronger and clearer than ever.

* * *

"Hey there young sailor, come listen to me. I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea!" Apara sang, watching the two of them labor away as he leaned against the railing of the ship. Nick and Finnick wanted to do more than shoot him dirty looks and cuss him out under their breath, but there's little to say to a crime boss' second-in-command.

" Finn, help me move this one?" They had already dug the boxes out of the hide-away, but that was only one step. Nick took one side, and Finn hefted the other. They slowly made their way through the brush of the island, feet tripping up against roots more than once, then up the gangplank, and after struggling with the box in the narrow hatchway, managed to shove it in the ship's stash. They trudged their way back up to the topdeck, and Nick took a second to breathe.

Zootopia was a peninsula, a very big one with lots of different folks. Lots of little islands around the very big one, and those little islands made very good places to transport goods, thanks to not being on the maps. By Nick's account, they were on their third trip to this specific island, for contents he didn't need to know about. All that mattered was the payday.

" Nick, go up a bit?" said Finn. They tilted the second box and managed to fit it through after some wiggling. " Hey, Finn- think this cargo is worth a lot? Five, ten thou?" Finn shrugged. " Enough to get us livin' good for a while, a coup'la ladies, that sort of thing. Why?"

Nick slowly lowered his half down on the floor of the stash, and leaned against the stairway back up. "We could always ask for a percentage cut, instead of that flat rate business we was set up with. Enough sweet words to that big cat and we could be rolling in more dough than you could shake a stick at!"

Finn shook his head, and straightened out the crates. Nick could see his ears poking from being a pile. "And if we say the wrong thing we're going to end up dusted. Not-"

"Listen to me!" Nick leaned over the crates and looked Finnick in the eyes. "Ain't you tired of living in the dirt and dust, man? Like some broke piece of prey? No! A few words in the right place at the right time can mean the difference from another rotted-out apartment and a high-rise next to the big folk. Where we _belong._ " Finn shook his head again, waving him off, and Nick snorted loudly.

"You're acting like a scared kit! You had my back during the Rainforest job, and during the thing in Downtown, but now you're acting all afraid?" Finn kept his back turned to him, but still spoke up. "Things are different when you get traded off to a pred with big teeth, Nick. I'm not dumb." They hadn't spoken much after that, and went back up to Apara after a few minutes of securing cargo.

The… beaver? was still singing some old shanty, tapping his stubby little feet on the deck and smiling like some moron.

"Boys! Are we ready to go back home?" Nick nodded, and the beaver scampered away to pull the boat out of the harbor. At least the view back would be nice- the stars had started coming out, and he could make out some constellations tonight- the Little Dipper was the important one, though, the North Star and all that.

The boat glided out into the ocean smoothly, and Nick made sure to always keep a paw on a railing. They weren't out of the woods yet, and it might be time to start making sharp turns or pushing the engine a little harder with those police boats not too far away. The registration on the boat was fake, of course, listed under the name of someone Nick knew didn't exist. But Apara had ID with that very same name on it, so unless any nosy officers decided to arrest them unjustly, they were fine. The boxes were hidden, and he and Finn were just hired contractors. Perfectly legal and innocent.

Of course that went wrong, somehow, and Nick had to fight an urge to hide as two patrol boats peeled off from their route to come up alongside them. He cursed, able to see their destination out of the corner of his eye- all they needed were a few more minutes… But, this meant that he could do the job he had been hired for, and that might mean a chance to bargain if he did it well.

So he did what he did best- acted, looking every bit a tired and disgruntled laborer as two of the cops boarded the ship, swaggering their way over to the tiny form of Apara. He and Finn stood on either side, wiping their brows and nodding at whichever cop wasn't speaking. The two of them were wolves, as far as he could tell, which made sense- you couldn't predict what was on suspect boats. You had to prepare for anything, so it was better to bring the big guys to stop any trouble from getting too out of hand ASAP.

They eventually wanted to search, and he and Finn split the officers up, leading them to opposite ends of the cargo bay. Nick felt fortunate- he had gotten the female officer, so that meant an easier time schmoozing. He started chatting when she had squeezed into the cargo bay.

" I'm sorry about the tight fit, ma'am." He smiled, moving farther into the cargo bay and watching her struggle forward. " This boat wasn't built for bigger folk like you, sorry. But I promise I'll do my best to get us through this quickly."

She had scowled at him, but he kept the smile on his face. " Officer, I know this ain't the best environment, but I'm sure you've been through worse. I see those medals on you, and that rank- that's a Sergeant tag, yeah?" She had Marksman commendations, he had seen, another that he thought was for certain years of service, one for bravery on duty… A possible ego to stroke, or a heart of gold to work at.

.

" You must be used to bigger things, ma'am. I'm surprised they've got you working on the water." She read the label on the first box, and opened it slightly to find that it, indeed, really did hold fish. Nick cringed and hurried to her side. "Careful, ma'am, I don't want to get in trouble for spoiling the catch for the day. We get paid by the box, but only if they stay fresh."

She finally took him in, wrinkling her nose at the fishy smell coming from his clothes.

" How much do they pay you for all these fish?" she waved a paw at the stacks of chilled boxes and coolers lined up against the wall. " Average I've seen for a good fish is twenty, maybe thirty. You get a good cut?"

Nick shuffled his feet, counting off his fingers. " We get a flat nine bucks an hour, plus twenty-five per fresh box, total split among however many people are working today. There are ten boxes in here today, so… four-hundred-sixty in total, I think?" He scratched his head. " Should be enough to keep the bills paid." Nick lifted the next cover in line, showing more fish. "But you know how it is Officer- a year or so more, and I'd get enough to go to school and finish up my education, get something Downtown." Her eyes had softened- good, a softie. Just keep it going.

She saw the fish, nodded, and they moved onto the next box. Fish, fish, and more fish. He gave her the usual story- five kits from three different mothers, child support, no education, out of rehab- and she listened enough to not focus on the latch under the pile of crates.

Finnick did his job alright- no one had to go missing this time, thankfully. Eventually, the cops left with disappointed looks on their faces.

Apara waved them off, and turned to the both of them with that same wide smile. " The drinks are on me when we get back, boys. You two will fit in well if you keep this up."

He felt pride, and some relief. Overall, very good. He had done another clean job, and their new employer was sure to be happy. Happy enough, it turned out later, to give them steady jobs afterward. They never did ask for the percentage, though.

* * *

But he had gotten a bit too greedy after a while, the money gone after a bad investment. Unwilling to go running back and beg for work, he resorted to street hustling- at least then he was recovering on his own merits. He had told Adisha it was just a little vacation, time to recoup losses. That little vacation eventually brought him back here.

Things would be different this time. He hoped.


	10. Chapter 9: Follow the Trail

**Chapter 8.99: Keeping Focused**

" For sale, baby shoes, never worn." She turned back to him, hoping to see some interest in his face this time. He looked… slightly more awake than last time. She smiled, and scooted her chair closer to him. "Do you get it? It's supposed to be a really good example of a short story with a strong meaning. Lots of people try, but they can't always…" She stopped when Nick yawned, and her mind began racing again. Maybe they should go for a walk, or do something different, but what would Nick want to even do?

Did she do anything but read and watch movies? "I get it, I think." Nick said. " It's supposed to be all sad, make you think about how that person got there." Judy lit up again- when they first started really hanging out, it had surprised him how quickly her moods could change, but by now it was just expected. He wondered if she was like that with anyone else.

" Yeah! And, um…" Judy shifted in her seat. " That's… that's pretty much all I got from that, too. So…" They sat there for a moment, just awkwardly staring and looking around at the apartment both of them knew very well, by now. She wondered if she should get another chair- Nick always had an odd face when he had to sit on her bed. That reminded her of something.

" Nick!" she said. " What's your place like? How come I never get to go and hang out with you and Finnick? I can hang out with boys just fine- grew up with plenty of them back home."

"You've told me that dozens of times. I know. " Nick shook his head. " It's… it's not something that's clean, exactly. It's mostly just a place to sleep and shower, and have, eh, certain guests over." He avoided looking directly at her with the last comment. Hopefully, she'd get it.

She scooted closer, again, and ignored the chair bumping against the bed frame. " You and Finn have a lot of _guests_ over, Nick?" she said, teasingly. " All the girls know your name, huh?" He wasn't looking at her, which surprised her. She was expecting him to joke, or exaggerate. " Hey, I expected the con-fox to have a lot of girls, why are you being all shy now?"

Nick chuckled. " I'm a cop now, Carrots. You think I still bring girls home? Nowadays, most of the girls I hang around are friends from work, or you. Ugh." He laughed a little. " You all are definitely something else, I swear- always so serious on duty, and then you become all happy and hyper, off of it."

Judy smiled, widening it when he looked back at her again. " So I'm not a friend from work? Am I just your boss now? Checking off boxes and being annoying?" He nodded, and she considered swatting his arm briefly. " Hey, I'm still a girl, I'm still your friend. Don't start treating me like I'm your commander or something. Once you're off probation, I can start treating you how I want to."

He tilted his head slightly, looking amused. " And how do you want to treat me, Carrots? Do I get bossed around less?"

She opened her mouth, but reconsidered. She wasn't actually sure what she had meant by that. She settled for a shrug and a light punch to his arm. Now that she thought about it, why did he keep her separate from a work-friend? It wasn't like-

" So," Nick said, stretching and standing, pushing her chair back with his feet. " Are we going to go out now?" He noted the expression on her face, tried not to smile. " We were going to go to walk around the mall, right? You wanted to buy something?" She nodded, and he ambled off towards her front door. "I'll wait outside, let you get ready."

She looked down at her shorts and tank top, shrugging. It wasn't like he was dressed any better, in that same old Pawaiian shirt and shorts. She settled on switching the tank top for a tee, finding Nick in the hallway resting against the wall.

" It wasn't that you looked _bad_ in it," he said, walking with her down the hallway. " All that smell from inside your room sticks to your clothes, you know. It can be kind of, eh, overwhelming if you've got a good nose."

She frowned. " I don't smell! And I keep my place clean, it's not like I have trash everywhere."

Nick shrugged. " It's not food, it's just… an odd smell when you stay or lay in something for that long. That's why I don't like being near your bed- all I smell is you."

She grumbled. " You're exaggerating, Nick. I don't smell anything besides that nasty funk of yours." He looked slightly offended. " I don't get why those girls you talked about wanted to come over. It's not like you smell that good."

Were they really talking about body odor? Nick sighed. " I smell like you, now. Too much time in your apartment, and now I smell like some cute rabbit. Those girls from before, they'd smell a handsome fox, who happened to have a nice personality and a dashing appearance." Judy pretended to gag, and he chuckled. " That smell I've gotten from you is spreading more rumors, you know. People saw us after the fire, talking and trying to be positive. With the two of them together…"

She wrinkled her nose, eyeing her partner and sniffing hard. Nick backed away warily, hand on the door to the stairway. " No, I think you just stink, Nick. Get better soap. That thick winter coat you got is just holding in a bunch of gunk." She knew that wasn't true- the hospital had scrubbed them constantly to get the smoke and ash out, and they both still had to use the body wash for another week. But still, he was offended. He knew she was joking, didn't he?

He poked her arm, frowning. " My coat is the envy of males everywhere, excuse you! I'm-" She sniffed again, bringing her face almost into his coat. He poked her away from his chest, trying to ignore the look on her face.

Judy shrugged. " I've smelt better. It's alright. " They walked down the stairs, off to the curb, and hailed a cab. Nick stayed quiet for the ride over, which satisfied her- for once, she'd gotten the better of him.

He did speak up eventually, though, when they made it to the mall. Nick stood up from his seat, eyeing her up and down and shaking his head. Jostling through a mother and her daughters arguing over what was 'too low', Nick went over to an errant hanger rack, pulling off a load of shirts he took the time to pick out.

"No," he said. " No orange. Purple, dark colors, let your natural colors come out. Nick held out a stack of plain tees, all muted in tone- grey, purple, dark blues. " Try those, I promise they'll look better." Nick sat back down, and Judy headed back into the changing room. Maybe _,_ Nick had the right idea, she decided. _Maybe_. Now it was his turn.

"You really think _this_ color suits me?" He tugged at the polo's collar, grimacing. " Purple suits you, not me. It makes your eyes pop more. I look like some abstract painting with all this color."

Judy flipped through her stack of shirts, holding up a dark-green button-down. "This one?" Nick shook his head. " It's the same as that old shirt you always wear! Really, Nick?" It was the same with the other four shirts.

He never did let her buy him anything, and today wasn't any different- everything she picked out mysteriously vanished at the register, and he paid for some of her shirts. One day, she thought, he'd be less stubborn.

They walked out with their bags, accidentally bumping into a trio of girls chattering. Nick noted, with a mix of fear and happiness, that they were vixens. Pretty ones. " You're that big hero, aren't you?" said a smaller rust-colored one, eyes wide. " The big, brave fox that saved all those poor prey-folk, just a few weeks ago, and that Bellwether one…" Her eyes were working him over, he knew, and they could smell each other just fine. Which was a problem with Judy standing right there.

He gave the ladies his best smirk, jostling his bags a little. " I, um, I'd really like to spend time, but my friend and I _have_ to go. We have an early day tomorrow, gotta save more lives, you know how it is." He gave his best apologies, moving away, and very slowly made his way towards an angry rabbit.

* * *

Judy didn't think she was angry, just concerned. _They_ could smell something she couldn't, apparently, and Nick took his sweet time breaking off the conversation so they could head home. She didn't like that look in their eyes, and Nick apparently noticed her fuming over by the corner. It might have been the glaring. Or the angry foot-tapping and muttering.

Nick eventually walked over with his ears hung low, avoiding her gaze. " It's… It's December, Judy. You have to at least be polite and say no." Her glare didn't vanish, so he hurriedly continued. " It's that time of year, for canines, you know. Lots of people start trying for kids and things… And because of my endless charm and heroism, I get a lot of, um, offers. " She huffed, and they walked towards the nearest side exit. " Hey," he said. " You must get boys calling all year-round. You don't see me getting jealous."

Judy hadn't felt this confused for a while. Nick was right, technically, and she knew what time of the year it was… But still, she couldn't let girls like…. _People_ like those distract Nick from his job. He had enough to worry about as it was, she needed him focused.

 **Chapter 9: Follow the Trail**

Judy shook her head, letting go of the memory for now. Nick wasn't here right now, and she had plenty of things to focus on. When- _if,_ he let her know where he went, he'd hopefully be impressed with her. She sipped the soup slowly, keeping an eye down the block. Charlie's soup was pretty good today- although, she thought, smiling, she had no right to say that after two days of trying it. The cauliflower one was better than the carrot one, though, which meant she'd either gone off the deep end or Charlie couldn't cook carrots- either option was a shame .

It had turned out that a bunch of young boys didn't mind a confused girl in their class, as long as she asked constructive questions. She had seen more than a few peel off and away from home towards Downtown after classes, and their pockets seemed to have a good amount more than before they left. The trick was getting evidence.

She had followed them on her third trip here- yesterday. They ended up on a block not too far from her own building, and from her spot down the street she could see them picking out cars to search first. One of them had seen her, eventually, but she waved and they had ignored her after that. That meant that they didn't see her taking pictures with her phone as they took parts out.

She felt the last of the soup drain out the cup, and she resisted the urge to throw the cup on the pile next to her. The fact the kids weren't caught surprised her, but in retrospect, they were very good at finishing a job. They'd wait for any foot traffic to clear out, and quickly take out small parts of the car- there'd be a lookout, someone to pick locks, and one of them had tools. They made sure to pick at cars with some slight damage already, parked away from windows or at least near dark ones.

The hardest part had been getting a photo with them holding the parts and with their faces visible- right now she just had a bunch of tiny hoodies stripping a car. She had thought about asking them to take a celebratory picture with her, but that had seemed silly after a minute of thinking. She had sat there against the building, watching them and feeling frustrated. A couple came out of a restaurant up the street, laughing, and the kids ducked their heads down, waiting until the street was quiet again to keep working.

Oh. Just go to the other side. Simple.

She managed to make it over there just in time, when they were wrapping up. The photos had come out a little grainy, but the faces, parts were still there. They busted people on traffic cam footage, and that much worse quality, so this was fine. She had almost dropped the phone after one of them shouted, but it was just from a paw getting cut. They'd left after that, and Judy called it a night then- but not before searching around that car for any evidence. She'd have to run the owner tomorrow and let him know what happened.

* * *

She considered getting another soup, decided against it, and started her way up the street. Last night was one piece, but there was more evidence. How else would a poor neighborhood make money? James had been walking around with a satchel a while ago, and she'd seen the other teens doing similar things recently. Couriers? She couldn't just look in their bags…

Detective work seemed to include a lot of footwork, she found. Following a courier took a lot of patience and energy. But she'd been noticing interesting things- everyone in the neighborhood was some kind of prey, and the couriers all happened to be young, male, buck rabbits. Twitchy ones, at that- she almost got caught walking too close to one, and had to hide in a corner store for a few minutes. This one eventually led her to the middle of a very busy intersection past Sturm and Drang, slipping an envelope into someone's front door mail-slot.

She didn't expect it to go back out onto the welcome mat. Glancing around quickly, she ran up and snatched it, waiting until she was back at the corner store to look at what she had taken, ignoring the bemused looks of the shopkeep.

Mason,

 _I really enjoyed the last batch of plays you sent me, Mason. I rarely rarely enjoyed it as much as you did and I cant notwait to. Imsorrythaticantspellbutyouknowhowitiswiththesekindsof thijgsTha_ nk you for the last gift. I promiseToand outthe surplus to the usual people. James will be by again soon to help out at the house- he's gotten better with his metalworking, I'm sure you'll be happy _._ He's gotten a bit fussy about what he'll do, so just watch out for that. Sorry about the last time- he can get very confused when it comes to following directions.

Are Laura and Teagan doing well since they moved in? I hope they're being useful around the house. Keep me updated on them please. With all that time put into them, I'd love to hear it's paying off.

If my kids keep doing well, could we consider a percentage raise? I feel like with the new crop coming up, my kids are well worth the price. Will let you know if I find more on the street.

 _Always loyal,  
Liam_

 _P.S. I've got the same one snooping around my house. Anything you think we can do?_

 _P.S.S. Sabermetrics for home teams attached. Our teams are going to win this year, you just watch!_

Her brow furrowed at the first few lines. Everything was just a jumbled mess on that page, as if someone had either written too close together or tried to write over mistakes. It made her want to stop reading. But that seemed to be the point.

She glanced back at the doorway of the house. No one had come out, and she didn't remember anything special about this address.

The rest of it just seemed like someone chatting about their house and sending in helpers. James had something to do with that fire, so obviously there was something more. Laura, Teagen, and Mason weren't names she had heard from her friends in the neighborhood- contacts, she corrected herself.

She dug into the envelope and found a folded-up spreadsheet with sports teams listed on top and several different columns on the side. There were the Rowdy Rams, Charlie's Angels, Bernard's Boys, and another just called the Bucked-up Boys … All with stats showing last month's team batting average, the increase from this month, plus players traded.

She didn't watch much baseball, but she was sure that teams don't have their own batting averages, or that it could go over 1; the Bucked-up Boys had an average of 1.2. But what did that mean in relation to Liam and whoever this was for?

"Are you going to buy something, or what?" Judy glanced over the top of the spreadsheet, into the eyes of the fed-up store-owner. She looked around a little bit, noting the magazines and newspapers first, sitting on the counter. Apparently, Gazelle had beauty tips, Van Hamme wanted to expose some exes, and there was a list of top 50 most influential Zootopians in the past year. It wasn't useful towards her case at all, and she still bought a copy along with that morning's newspaper. She hesitated a second, and then grabbed a couple of nutrition bars- had to make up for all the cheap soup, she felt.

* * *

She and Nick made number 49, she discovered. But that wasn't important, at all. What's important was getting to the bottom of all this. It might be time to ask about that talk…

" And now this one!" Liam rubbed his face, sighing. "What, what do you want now? Don't you have a crosswalk to guard or something?"

She had to be forceful. She folded her arms across her chest, trying to stare into Liam's eyes. He looked drained, so this might be easier to work with… " Liam," she said. " I want to come in and give a talk to the kids, and their parents. I'll come in plainclothes, by myself, and all I'll do is talk a bit. Fair?"

Liam sighed again, kneading his forehead. "Do you not pay attention to what's going on, or did you not see the big truck with-" Liam smiled suddenly, eyes lighting up. " Come and talk, actually! Come in uniform, bring that dinky car of yours, the whole thing."

Well, that had been easy. Liam had lost interest in her after that, headed back towards his apartment, but he was old, and he didn't bother to look behind him much. All she had to do was stay slightly to his side, out of his field of vision, and walk a few feet away… They eventually made it back to the same apartment block, and she tensed, watching Liam fish for the keys to the door. It was an awfully big keychain, and maybe under the right circumstances she could grab it…

She frowned. She wasn't a thief! The whole point was to be better than these- She shook her head. The whole point… was to show people there were better ways to do things. She had words, she could talk her way in.

"Judy!" She turned to find an old weasel moving towards her, smiling, thankfully. " You got a key inside yet?"

She cringed, expecting Liam to say something, but all she heard was the front door shutting. Sighing, she smiled at Barbara. "Hi, Barb. " she said. " No, not yet. Can you let me in? I… I want to see what the place looks like inside. Before I move in." Not a lie, technically.

But, she thought as Barbara let her in, what was the actual point of being in here? She'd have to keep her eyes open.


	11. Chapter 10: Almost Time

**Chapter 9.5: You Tried**

Barbara had a nicer apartment than Judy expected, but that wasn't exactly her main focus right now. Judy crinkled her bottle of water nervously, not liking the pitying look in Barbara's face. She tried to straighten herself out on the small couch.

" You're not a very subtle detective," Barbara said lightly, pacing around. " I love the fact you want to help, Miss Hopps, but come on." Barbara watched Judy stammer slightly, trying to look the part by puffing up her chest and sitting straighter. " I'll tell you what I know, alright? I owe you a lot for the fire, and you've been working for the small folk with all that snooping."

Oh. Judy cursed herself- what had given her away? She thought that her acting was pretty good, and no one had ever called her out. " Um…. Thank you. I'm out of my element still, but I've been doing it-" Judy shook her head. " I want to get everyone a better life than living as someone else's lackey. I know I'm not a miracle worker, but I can definitely make enough noise to make sure you all get what you deserve."

Barbara tilted her head, smiling a little. " You're better with actions that you are with words, you know. Let me ask something- Why are you still here? Why not give up, let this neighborhood stay a mess?"

The answer came immediately. " I want to give people the chance to live life the way they want to. " Judy found her paws digging into her knees as she leaned toward Barbara.

Barbara sighed, leaning her head back and thinking. Judy had been snooping since before she'd gotten here, and had made a kind of following for herself- they had all heard rumors about the farm-girl rabbit trying to bond with the slummers (emphasis on _try_ ), and her and the other apartment-fire mammals had been quick to speak up, calling her brave, a hero. It helped that most prey had Hopps as a big inspiration already, ever since the Bellwether thing.

It was more than a little disappointing seeing her like this, though- she kept glancing around like she'd never seen anything before, she didn't know what she was saying half the time, and she was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. Everyone had expected her in a uniform, swaggering up with a warrant and cleaning up the neighborhood. This was… well, not what anyone thought would happen.

She might be horrible at conversation, but she at least never gave up looking for stuff to pin on Liam- the mechanic kids had complained to their parents that some rabbit kept walking them home and fussing over their cut and bruises. They were already uncomfortable being told to let her take pictures. The evidence would work well with testimony, though…

The teens were different. Some of them, John especially, hadn't agreed, saying that there was nothing for them helping a cop, that they should stick with what they knew. That… was something still brewing.

But, she really did want to change things, and she had been stubborn enough to commit to it – even without that partner of hers. That was enough for Barbara, at least. Which is why she agreed to invite some of the ambivalent families over and have them talk with Judy.

* * *

Liam liked his apartment- no couch, but the recliner was comfy, and the TV was nice enough that most mammals coming in here took the time to ask about the specs and where he got it- flatscreens tended to do that. Rent was an amazing revenue source, he found, especially when it was combined with middleman-jobs. Although, he thought sourly, swirling his glass around, money was getting tighter and tighter. He might have to ask the girls to start working, and the boys to try and extort new businesses.

Food for thought. He focused back on John, sitting at his dining table. The dark-furred buck looked as worried as he felt.

 **"** What do you want to do, boss?" John said, resting his elbows on the table. " Most of the others aren't keen on arguing with their folks… Any donations we could give out? "

Liam sipped the last of his drink, sighing. " One week, she does her talk, and that muskrat will be here at the same time. I think, between what I have to say, and that fox being there, she won't be able to do any damage."

John nodded. " Fingers crossed."

 **Chapter 10: Almost Time**

The bed was very comfy, much nicer than he was used to, but he couldn't stay in it much longer. Part of it was due to hunger, sure, but Nick knew that he had things that needed doing today.

After waking and washing up, Nick walked around the house, finding plenty of spare bedrooms with multiple beds crammed in- more like dormitories than anything. The kitchen wasn't hard to find, thankfully, and the deer making breakfast was a good cook. Nick was still wiping the crumbs off his face when he bumped into someone unexpected in the hallway- Thom from work. Nick froze when he saw him, but Thom clapped him on the back and gave him a friendly handshake.

"Nick! You're working for the big cat too? Small wonders, man." Thom said. Nick gave him a small smile, eyeing him up and down- your average gray wolf, blue eyes that always seemed crinkled up in a smile, someone that Nick often saw around the station and town. A good mammal, someone that would be least suited to being in a gang.

" Thom, you're here? Since when were you taking money from gangs?" Nick said. " Bet something in one of your card games? Cleaned out the wrong guy?" he chuckled, and Thom shook his head, grinning.

" The pay is good, Nick, you know that. And all we have to do is some side jobs." Thom shrugged. "That beaver, Shamoo, Shark, was around asking for some workers for dock duty." Nick nodded, and Thom continued. " Easy-peasy, right? And, we might get to impress the ladies with all that heavy lifting, man." Thom chuckled.

Nick shook his head. " Ashley won't want you talking like that- you know she gets jealous." Thom laughed, and they began pacing around the house. " The wife won't mind, much- she thinks I'm on desk work right now, perfectly safe." Thom peeked his head down one hallway they walked past, wrinkled his nose, and kept walking. " It stinks here, Nick. That cat has everyone sitting with her all day- smells all foul."

Nick stopped and turned back to the hallway down to the living room. " You been here long, Thom?" Thom nodded. "Four months, getting followed around and nitpicked, been moving goods off the dock, scaring small folk." Nick walked halfway down to Adisha's room. " We could go ask her for some work- she'll like having the cops grovel a bit, might get us a good payday."

* * *

The begging and skill-flaunting worked on her, luckily. Thom was to work Downtown and help move a shipment from the docks to Liam's, and Nick was the one assigned to the boat- both under close supervision by Shani and a surly-looking lieutenant. They drove off in the same car Nick had arrived in, Nick and Thom sitting in the backseat. With it being properly lit, now, Nick could see that it was definitely some remote part of the Rainforest District- it took a while for him to see traffic of more than a handful of cars.

"So," Thom began. " Shiny, what kind of name is that? I haven't heard of a name like that very often. " Shani gave a small smile, looking back through the rearview mirror. " It's a good practice in this business to use odd names. People can't connect you with things when they cant even say your name, yes? The right name, the right cover, and people never suspect you."

"He likes the mystique," Nick muttered. "Makes him feel more important." Thom nodded. " Shani's been around for a while," Nick added. "He's been tight with Adisha ever since that cat popped onto the scene- what was it, ten years, fifteen years ago? They're both big schemers, and with the two of them working together…"

"… Carved out our own little niche in Zootopia, and started a very nice foreign-trade business. Yes, thank you, Nicholas." Shani's chest puffed out a little, sitting a little straighter in his seat. "We've got a monopoly on trade in Downtown, and if you two do your job well, we can get further into the other districts."

" I heard you all were doing more," Nick said. " At least, Adi made it seem that way. We're not just sailors and sellers, are we?" Shani shook his head. "That comes with time- for both of you. Just do as you're told today, why don't you?"

The rest of the drive went by in silence.

* * *

" But… But I can't just leave them alone, ma'am." The rat pleaded, crouched down." Please, they need to have their-" Adisha coughed, and the rat cringed, eyes kept to the floor.

" I asked you to keep an eye on **one** officer," Adisha said. " and you couldn't do it. One week, you stay here, telling everyone what you did wrong." The rat nodded, those little paws shaking. What was its name? Misa? Musa? Was it even important? She made her voice as gentle as possible. "They'll be fine, you'll see. One week alone one won't do much harm to your children. They know how to buy food, don't they? They can get money, can't they?"

The mouse nodded again, and she smiled. She let it leave, and rested her head back against her seat.

Adisha tapped her paws against her the arms of her seat slowly, lost in thought. Nicholas was back, and had left with that wolf Thom. Both just so happened to be disgruntled officers, and seemed awfully eager to work this morning. Two cops could be a useful asset, but what kept them from trying to play hero? The fox had no pay, true, but that rabbit was still around… The wolf, he had a wife, wanted children- something to use as leverage. She felt her shoulders relax slightly. Solutions did exist.

Nicholas would be the tricky one- the rabbit might appeal to him, get his head into the wrong place. Losing him again was unthinkable, she knew- Most of what the lesser gangs gave as tribute were laughable, barely able to read or write; Nicholas had a good eye, a silver tongue, and had become more in touch with his predatory side- more confident and full of himself. Right now, he was worth five of any one of her people. She had seen that look of his last night, the way he lit up when she talked about the large rewards and incentives. She could start there…

She stood and stretched, pacing up the hallway and glancing in rooms which fell silent at her approach. Illiterate prey wasn't difficult to keep under control- give them food and money, and loyalty was bought for as long as those continued. Adisha settled down in the kitchen, watching the cook duck their head and scramble for proper food.

She sighed, as she watched her lunch cook. She tried to do her best for these mammals, and yet they acted like she was something to fear. She gave people purpose, direction, stopped them from having to live like some savage. She remembered what that had been like, long ago, fighting for the chance to make money and having to charm and beg her way along. What was she doing wrong? They had money, homes… Yet they whispered in corners and eyed her with everything but appreciation. Shani was prey, and he had done it- why couldn't the others follow that example?

" Ana," she said, the cook freezing. " Do I keep you well-paid? Well-furnished?" Ana nodded, as she always did. Ana asked her what seasoning she wanted, as she always did. Ana kept her eyes away from her, as she always did. Prey were odd, always so twitchy and frightened. Here she was, predator giving so much to these fragile things, someone who had come from the same bottom-rungs of society, and they avoided her. Prey always did want to blame everyone else for their trouble, see them as threats- how else would they survive?

Rise above, she told herself. Keep rising above and the others will follow by example- prey or not.

* * *

Cars honked constantly, trying to edge into each other's lanes and taking every inch of free space they could. Pedestrians cut between cars trying to get across the street, or to sometimes beg at the windows or sell food, water. The smell from the nearby docks didn't help.

"You know, Nick," Thom said. " I thought smuggling would be a bit more glamorous when I first started. Sneaking boxes onto trucks at night, evading cops…" Thom sighed, honking the horn again and groaning when traffic moved an inch forward, stopping again before the light. "This is just tedious!"

Thom did get the short end of the stick today, Nick knew. But, he wouldn't fit on the boat anyway- not much choice.

Nick glanced behind them, watching Shani's car idle. He turned towards Thom, trying to ignore the rat sitting in-between them. " Think of the payday- enough for the wife and some pups…" Thom grunted. " Enough to keep Ashley from complaining for, oh, two hours or so…" That got him to laugh a little, at least, which gave Nick what he needed to keep going. " It'll be over soon, just watch."

Thom edged the truck forward, eventually being able to turn. "Hey, uh… I don't know how I'm going to explain this to her. I don't think she'd be happy with me." He tapped the steering wheel rapidly. " How'd you explain it to your folks, Nick? Or what was the cover?"

Nick shook his head. " Only person that would get mad at me for this is Judy, and I'm not telling her a thing." Thom nodded. "She's got that temper, yeah." Thom said. "But won't she come looking if you stay away for too long? I ain't ever seen you two apart ever since I met you."

That _was_ a problem. She was going to have his hide if he didn't say something, but what could he say? Would she try and arrest him on the spot? No, she'd try and talk to him first, probably cry and ask him he could he do this to her… He shook his head, frowning. No use in belittling her. She might toughen up and do the right thing- and that thought made him feel… proud? Was he proud of her? She was someone that gave all or nothing, and if involved him-

"You look creepy smiling like that." Thom muttered. " If you can get your mind off of Judy for a second, we have to be professional in a second."

Nick huffed, crossing his arms. " Who says I'm thinking about Judy?"

" I've seen that look when you're staring at her," Thom said. "Good job eyeing your boss, man. Real good role model for the cadets."

Nick rolled his eyes. " So you've been moving goods around for all these months? That's why I barely saw you. " Getting into that conversation wouldn't lead anywhere good, nothing he was willing to argue about.

Thom nodded. " Giving goods to that fat rabbit for him to distribute. He's awfully full of himself- kept going on and on about how this month's profit would be better than last month's, that he should get a better cut." Thom shook his head at people cutting in front of their truck, hurriedly running onto the median and across to the sidewalk. He honked, watching one lizard jump.

Nick took the time to think. " Has it been a while since you got a chance to be at home?"

Thom nodded. "I basically come home when she's asleep. Of course, I picked the worst time to do this- it's December and Ashley wants to try for kids again. She wants to make sure we're broke- she wants girls!" Thom shook his head, laughing a little. " Once I'm able to get home for longer, with some good money… Then I can focus on kids. Gotta raise them right, right?"

Nick nodded. " Are they gonna know Dad was a gangster?" he said, jokingly. Thom shook his head, and Nick saw the frown. Bad timing, then. They left the conversation there. What would people think of them?

The rat sat in-between them wrinkled his nose, sniffing. The sooner this job was done, the sooner he could leave these oddballs.

* * *

He didn't know why he expected this place to look different- everything was still grimy, covered in trash, or paint-sprayed and rusted. He almost tripped over a broken piece of the curb when they were unloading boxes.

" You're kidding me." Liam stared disbelievingly. " This is some kind of sting. There's gonna be some big bear around the corner to make sure I go quietly..."

Nick shook his head, tapping the crate at his feet. " Take your boxes, Liam. Or do you not want income for the next month? We can go tell the boss you aren't interested anymore..."

Liam cringed slightly and called out for the boys to help. He saw James, a few other jumped-up bucks come out of the building and start carrying things to the back. James was purposely avoiding him, he noticed. Well, wasn't like it mattered now.

The three of them stood there, boxes and young bucks between them. Thom was looking around with a barely-hidden look of contempt on his face. Nick went between studying Liam and where the boxes went. Eventually, Liam spoke up.

" Does this mean I get to keep my boys around now?" Liam said. " With you back on the streets... She won't need to borrow my boys anymore, right?" It surprised Nick how hopeful Liam looked.

Well. Always try and exploit weaknesses.

Nick stepped over to Liam, slowly and with a wide grin on his face. Had to make sure he saw the teeth, just a little bit. " That's up to the boss, Liam. You know that. If you had something important here, that you really needed them... I could tell Shani, he'd listen to me- you'd just get ignored."

Liam' s eyes narrowed. " And what's that gonna cost? You can't extort me, that'd cut into your boss' profits."

Nick waited, pretending to think, shuffling his feet. He spoke up when Liam tried to talk." Well… How's about you owe me a favor that I get to call in? Simple." Nick stuck out a paw.

There was plenty of hesitation in Liam's eyes. But Nick had found a weakness, and Liam wouldn't want to lose a chance to keep his people here. That's why Liam shook. Yes, it was a simple thing, but it was still something he could exploit.

The boxes were eventually all placed inside, for distribution to the right folk later. Thom had been pacing around in circles now, constantly glaring at Liam and at any of the teens that tried to come over and talk. Thom wouldn't try anything on the kids, Nick knew, but Liam and Thom clearly had something going on- Liam never even acknowledged Thom the entire hour they had been there.

" You want to tell me what's going on?" Nick muttered.

Thom straightened back up, sighed. "That rabbit … He used to do more than run hot goods and strip cars down, extort. Rumor has it, the boys used to do more violent work, might've hurt some friends of mine, and some of the girls here…" Thom shook his head. " And rumors or not, this guy is dregs- too weak to be a real gang boss, but just enough to scare some innocent folk into paying him and giving up their kids as workers. All he really is, it's due to someone else." Thom took a step towards Liam, paw moving to his side. " Our job is to-"

Nick sighed, tapping Thom's back. " Our job is to move crates. Remember- he's not the real threat. Real threat is the big cat, so just focus on keeping her happy." They leaned against the back of the truck, still waiting for the muskrat to come out of whatever hole he was in.

* * *

Shani did show up eventually, satchel in hand, and was in a good enough mood to allow the two of them to guard the meeting inside- or at least, Shani allowed Nick to do so, while Thom had to drive the truck back. Heading to the back of the apartment block, Nick tried not to breathe too deeply, the smell of mildew and sweat becoming stronger as they went on. The room they ended up in, thankfully, had a proper AC. Liam locked the door behind them and sat at the round table in the center of the room, offering Shani a chair. Nick stood behind Shani, and Nick was a little more than surprised when it was James that stood behind Liam.

"How many boxes this time?" Liam said, the smile on his face patently fake.

"You've counted them already, " Shani said, pulling out a notepad from his bag, the front page full of numbers and percentages. " And I need you to tell me how much of an increase in profits there's been… It should be at least 3%."

Liam swallowed, paws drumming on the table lightly. "There's… there's been problems with that. I'll have the financials squared away in a few more days, send it over to the usual place."

Nick leaned forward, whispering into Shani's ear. " He took in a lot of folk from that fire recently… He might be spending money getting them situated. Means we're losing a good amount of money. " Shani nodded slowly, ripping the page out, and turning it over to Liam.

"Abernathy," Shani said. "You… You've been up to what, recently? Where's the income going? The cut we give you is generous. There's more boxes every month, so we should be seeing an increase…"

Liam frowned, crossing his arms and his voice raising. " I can't remain in business without more money, Shani. You know that an investment would pay off in the long run."

"For you," Shani said. "But I don't-"

Nick focused his eyes back onto James, smiling a little when he saw James staring at the financials paper and mouthing the numbers. James snapped his head back up as the two businessmen started arguing, and shuffled nervously. Nick smiled at him, nodded his head, and James eventually nodded back.

Liam would send his financials in a week, and if it wasn't enough, then the distribution was to be handled in-house by folks like Nick. Liam's boys would do one more job, and then they'd be let go from their contracts.

But that would mean that he and Thom would have plenty more to do. Soon, everything would fall into place.


	12. Chapter 11: I Remember Me

**Chapter 10.5: After the Fire, Before the Mess**

 **(A/N: Hope you enjoy, guys and gals! I'm on improving things, getting the story complete. Hopefully, you find this up to snuff.)**

Inhalation of smoke and chemicals meant hospital. Police officers meant good care and a longer stay.

It did not mean comfort, Nick found out. First day was IV- steriods, fluids, etc., being scrubbed down to the skin by rough nurses, getting chest X-rays. The second day they did it all over again, and had a fit if he started coughing for more than a few seconds.

It wasn't all bad. The TV was a help. Some people even visited, gave thanks, condolences, get wells. Judy was getting the same treatment if he was reading the texts right.

But that didn't make him any more patient. Three days of being checked out and having to inhale some foul gas all day were getting on his nerves, and he had an itch to move around more. The fact that the soap opera was on a rerun helped too.

Which is why he was now in Judy's room, watching the rain out her window and trying to pick at her lunch. He only had a few minutes, couldn't afford to be nice.

He aimed for the apple slices this time, but she batted his paws away. " Rude." She said. " I'm in recovery and you want to scavenge away." She dug into what Nick thought was a pile of green mush, busily chewing. The oxygen mask was on the edge of the bed.

They stared out the window for a while, listening to the rain. Nick spoke up first, quietly.

" Carrots," he said thoughtfully. " You doing okay in here?" _Mhm_. " Good food?" _Mhm_. "Missing anything?" He heard her sigh.

" Everything I need is close by." she said. " Food, a nice view, a book... This oxygen mask." She laughed a little at that, and he checked the timer on his phone. She still had a little bit before she had to take another pull.

" Hm." Nick stretched his legs out, twisting his back around. He'd have to leave soon. " You make sure to tell me if they don't treat Miss Hero like she deserves." he said, playfully.

She shook her head. " Don't leave yet. " He stared at her, then the door to the hallway. He leaned back against the bed railing, and they sat there quietly. The rain had started to let up, and they could hear the EKG. Nice and steady. Nick eventually took a sharp breath, squeezing the railing.

" Judy." he said, looking down at her, eyes firm. " I mean that. You're a hero. Gives me an idea that I could be one. All it takes is effort, like all the amount you put in..." He shook his head, and Judy felt his paw brush hers. " Thanks, for giving me a chance to try and be one. I owe you."

She shook her head. " Oh, stop being such a drama king, Nick. It's nice having you around, even with you trying to steal my food." He had probably watched too many soaps in his room. Must've got a bit insane. Not that she didn't appreciate the niceness.

Nick grinned. " That smoke's got me all messed up, partner. Sorry. I'll go back to the jokes and snark eventually." He grabbed an apple slice and chewed with a look of bliss. " Mmm. See, if you give me more food, I'll be right as rain in no time. Please?"

They talked for a few more minutes, arguing over the latest episode on the TV, who got the better lunches, whose nurse was nicer. Nice and normal. They still couldn't agree on what book they should read next.

 **Chapter 11: I Remember Me**

Tomorrow was the big speech- Liam had asked for Shani to come and watch, that the main reason for his income going down the drain was going to show itself. It was a lie, but Shani wanted to see Hopps for himself, get rid of a potential threat. Which is why Nick and Thom were assigned- see if the dirty cops could go against their own.

Shani had found it very funny when he told them.

The past few days had them working the docks, shipping their goods to the usual suspects, shaking down nearby shops. It surprised Nick that the dead-drops hadn't changed since he had left, and Shani had told him that Adisha didn't see a reason to change things- no one had been caught, so why bother?

Nick was tired, and fervently hoped it would be over soon. Maybe then he could eat more than small snacks and shakes.

* * *

It was a few weeks before Judy had asked him not to transfer.

" It's very nice to see you after all these months, Nicholas. I thought all that police work meant you turned tail." Shani sipped at his shake, eyeing Nick from across the café table. Nick had his own shake, but didn't have the appetite. Too many knots in his stomach.

" I wanted to see what you and Adi had to offer … And I wanted information." Nick said, as Shani smiled. " I heard that Abernathy is still around- barely, though, weak and broke. Is that true?" Shani nodded. Nick felt a wave of relief- something easy. But he still had to finish the deal. " And would Adi appreciate me… doing some side jobs, maybe coming back? As long as I get updates on Liam? "

Shani regarded Nick carefully. He looked tired, worn out in that uniform. This life must not be suiting him, and with Nicholas being a recent entry, the pay would be bad, loyalty low… And the money he could make them would be significant, Liam bring a waste of resources anyway… Shani nodded. "Do some work for me, and after a few months of proving yourself, I'll let you back into your old duties. But by then, Adi will want to see you, Nicholas. She'll want everything."

* * *

Nick felt his phone buzz, and he saw a text from a number he hadn't seen before.

 _Oiche, Renard - Mason, Lukas_

A relay, then. He had done this before, and it didn't take him very long to find the package wrapped up in the trashcan on the intersection. Mason and Lukas wasn't too far from here, two blocks up.

He left the packet in the trash. Simple, and worth the information he got the next day. Each week meant another package added to the relay, or a random building to report on. No one was hurt, thankfully. By him. He tried not to think about it.

Judy still noticed him with the stress ball, though. Thankfully she never asked why he needed one all of a sudden- too focused on him potentially leaving for Gangs. She never noticed the yawning and the large amount of non-solid food he9 ate, either. He loved blueberries, sure, but not in shakes every night.

He figured that pointing her towards Liam would help her become a better police officer, get her some more attention rather than be stuck on some dull foot beat. Shani's info had been good- he had found the places where Liam made his money, the café and the mechanic's garage some big ones. He wasn't sure if Judy had gotten all his hints, though. Probably assumed he was just nagging, or being controlling. His fault.

Then the fire happened, and he had gotten worried. People had gotten hurt, and Judy might get hurt too. His fault.

Almost time, he just had to wait.

* * *

Judy stumbled out of the cab, thanking the driver and trying to stifle the yawn. It was one in the morning- she couldn't remember when she stayed up past eleven, but it had been worth it. There had been so many families from the fire, and they all lit up when they saw her... Believed she could make a difference.

It felt good. Those people, they were going to have a fair shake at life again soon. And she had done it on her own! No fox to-

Judy grabbed for her mobile again, thumbing to her texts and seeing her last few still unanswered. No voicemails, no emails, no nothing. Fine! He wanted to be quiet, then she'd tell him how things are going on her own!

She yawned a couple times climbing up the stairs. She waited until she made it into the safety of her apartment before she rang his phone again and left a voicemail. Let's see how he took that, with his dumb silent role.

Where was the admiration, asking if she needed help? The one that had been bossing her around so much and nitpicking and telling her that she-

She took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes.

She missed her partner. She missed the breaks from work, him trying to make their days off more fun, sitting through all those dumb stories she read and trying to be interested. Just existing like normal folk.

She worked, she went to see those in the slums, she came home and slept. Read, jog, TV, sleep on her days off.

She fell asleep- or passed out, really, hoping that tomorrow would mean something. Change.

* * *

" Heyyyyyy, you! I've been busy while you've gone and disappeared. I don't know what your deal is leaving me alone, but I've been busting my butt and making progress! I'm the one that's gonna get all the credit if you don't hurry back, Nick! I've done more in a week than you and me- Um.

... Are you okay? I miss- I might feel bad taking all the credit, part- Uh, Nick. Don't let your boss make a fool out of you.

... I... Bye. Come home safe, please. "

* * *

His phone buzzed again, and he wrapped his paw around it, wondering if he should go through his messages. It was so dumb, ignoring her like that. But he couldn't face the worry right now- what would he tell her?

That he was sorry, that he hoped she was doing good, that she could knock this out the park. He'd been reading too many of those Savage books of hers- too sappy, too eye-rolling.

" Nicholas, come with me for a while." Shani tapped his shoulder lightly, and Nick sighed, pulling himself off the couch and trudging his way into Adisha's... audience chamber? She was just a crime boss, not some royalty. Shani glanced over his shoulder at him. " We want to talk to our star worker, since tomorrow is sure to be difficult for you." Nick supposed that was meant to be sympathy in the muskrat's voice. It just came out flat and stilted, like someone reading a script.

It was different looking at them now. The muskrat... Nick had seen him, at first, as something to be wary about, a weird mammal that didn't quite fit the mold. Quiet, sneaky, smiling as if he always knew more than you. That panther, someone with sharp teeth and the pull to have you dusted in a heartbeat. But, sitting down on the carpeted floor in front of the two of them, he could really look at them.

A smelly, smug-looking muskrat, amber eyes staring at you like some puzzle, always trying to be your friend in order to have something useful. So full of pride in tricking folk.

A big cat, small bits of tooth showing in the light. Strong and lithe, eyes always searching for answers. But they were far away now, misted over and combined with a wide grin. She'd been sampling some of her products again, he felt.

They meant nothing to him, and vice versa. Work for money, and he had enjoyed that. No ties to chain you down, and you get rewarded for being you. All that kept you from making more money was your own skill.

" You know," Shani said. " I've been very impressed with you... Nick. You've worked hard for us these past few months, and we've gotten some very lucrative income streams because of you. We just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work, and that we know tomorrow might be difficult..."

Adisha sighed happily. " But it'll just be a bit of prey. Someone that's been holding you back and making you look less impress…. Impressive." Her eyes were trained on the ceiling. " Our businesses is like chess… If you want to get ahead and make some pieces stronger… You've got to be rid of the pieces that are blocking the way." She waved an arm in his direction. " You could be a king, Nick. Metaphorically. Just knock out a pawn or two and you'd be clear to… advance."

Shani moved closer to him. " What she means is, Officer Hopps is a potential threat that may eventually find out more than we'd like… " said Shani. " And is holding one of our star workers back. I know that you aren't like one of my helpers, Nick, but we… I… really need you to cut the link. That's the only thing keeping you from a steady income, a real home. We've got some beautiful ones available Downtown…"

They asked him as if they wanted him to run a small errand. Moving goods around was one thing- he mostly just had to talk his way around.

Nick frowned at Shani. "You're prey. What's to stop her from getting rid of you someday?"

Shani grinned, looking his boss up and down with a mixture of amusement and glee. " I have a _use_ , Nick, and I work harder than a lot of other prey. Hopps works hard, yes, but she's working hard in the wrong places. Now." Shani clapped his paws on Nick's shoulders. " Shall I have to do it instead?"

Nick shook his head, and he was sent away.

* * *

Adisha sighed again, and Shani turned back to her. An old predator, so out of touch with the world… She had built up a greater tolerance to the pills than he expected. Next dose, then.

" Ma'am, are you well?" he said. She nodded slowly. " Nicholas, he's made us quite an amount, you know- three new shops are part of our network just this month. Some small investments, replacements, and we can increase revenue greatly." It's not like she knew much about business- she relied too much on him.

" Ma'am. One is a jeweler, very good at cutting gems, something our buyer out south will find very appealing- he was asking for diamonds, remember? To please his daughter? Another is a tailor…. The powerful always need good suits, yes? If I've done the math right, we can make a very nice profit…" She still did nothing but nod. Ah well. " I'll have the chemist come in and check on you soon. You're worrying me with all this silence."

Someone sitting around doing nothing- that wasn't a leader. Things needed to be more proactive, and he _was_ the one who had gotten everything done these past few months… Soon enough, focus on the persistent cop.


	13. Chapter 12: Did You Really Think?

**Chapter 12: Did You Really Think?**

 **(A/N: Hope y'all like this one!)**

It was dark tonight- the moon hidden behind a thick cloud cover. A handful of mammals moving about, trying to avoid looking at each other, and especially at him. He could smell the restaurant's cooking from here- a fresh batch of soup, vegetables simmering away. Peering through windows as he passed, he could see more of the same- torn-up chairs, plenty of smoking, lots of folk crammed into one small space. More than one would slip out without footing the bill.

Could she reach them? A farm girl trying to appeal to city folk, making this place better? Prey to prey- they'd like that connection, probably hoping they could get as far as she did...

People are dangerous. Getting evidence against the fat fool was one thing, but to sway them over, getting them to do whatever was needed... that was something.

Shani found himself in front of the crumbling apartment block, wrinkling his nose at the dripping air conditioners and the children running about. One of them nearly bumped into him as he knocked on the front door.

* * *

Nick knew Thom would have to wait outside. Too big. He d be perimeter security, a lookout. He decided to wait outside with Thom for a while, telling Shani they needed to discuss a plan of action in case things went awry. The muskrat would have his little rats around, Nick knew.

Thom leaned against the outside wall, making sure he was out the way of any ACs. " So." he said. " You think she knows what to do, Nick? I'm a bit worried that she's going to-"

" She's going to do fine, Thom," Nick said. " You know she's a people person. I'm more worried about what'll happen after."

Thom sighed. " So what do you think? Org Crime? Intel?" He eyed the huddle of mammals making their way into the building, squeezing and pushing.

Nick shrugged. " Let's wait until it's over to see. Still got a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Judy took a deep breath, smoothing out her uniform and checking to make sure everything was in place. Gigline centered, shirt buttoned properly, taser, baton, cuffs, all secure... She was presentable.

Commander had been a bit surprised when she asked for a community outreach day, but had accepted quickly- it's not like talking for a few hours was strenuous work. Judy had considered taking someone with her, but figured if things went right, it wouldn't matter, and that she could handle any worst-case scenarios. It's not like they were going to run her out with pitchforks and torches.

The lighting wasn't too bad, and there was plenty of chairs. About thirty desks in front of a whiteboard, old markers sitting on the lip. She felt like a teacher standing up there. Eventually, everyone shuffled into the cramped classroom, sitting in desks, on top of the desks, against walls- whenever there was room. Judy had a very small space to walk around in when everyone had finally made it- basically a semicircle, in front of a gaggle of small kids. She recognized some from the shop, and she waved at them, relieved when they waved back cheerfully.

She recognized a little under half of the all the faces here today, most barely. But she saw more than a few people nod in her direction, eyeing her uniform. Once everyone had settled, she took to standing in the middle of her semi-circle, trying to catch everyone's eye as she spoke.

"Good morning, everyone!" she said. " I'm Officer Hopps- I'm sure some of you have seen me around these past few weeks." A lot of nods. " You see, I work a few blocks from here, and I heard that there were some things in this neighborhood that I should take a look at. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what I'd find, but coming here has certainly been an eye-opener."

The phrasing was going to be very important- she could already see some of the adults and teens ready to speak up if she made one bad turn of phrase.

She focused her gaze on some of the parents she met yesterday. " A lot of you guys have taken the time to speak to me, and I heard that… that some of you guys wanted to know what opportunities were out there. Well, I wanted to talk to you about what it's like to be an officer." She paused for a second. " Not just any officer, too- _prey_ , from out of town that everyone thought wouldn't fit in."

She heard someone speak up from the back. " Aren't you something special then! 'Not just any officer!'Hmph!"

It wasn't a voice she recognized. Scanning the crowd, she picked out a small beaver standing up, next to-

Oh. Judy shook her head. So Nick had been here the whole time? Had he been trying to one-up her, get his own case going? He wouldn't be ignoring her if he was trying to help.

She frowned. Focus, control the situation. She met the beaver's gaze, and he smiled at her.

"What makes you so special, Officer?" he said. "Huh? We work hard here too, and from what I've been hearing, you're only where you are because you solved some case with the help of some suspect folks. Gangsters, thugs!" He had been given a wide berth by those around him, she noticed. Nick wasn't looking at either of them, preferring to keep his eyes lowered.

She cleared her throat. " I **did not** work with any sort of gangster, sir." she said. "The most I do in my job is try to mitigate what they do- keep them from hurting people. Other officers, they go in, and they find evidence that lets us put those kinds of folk behind bars- so that I can start helping the people that've been used." The beaver nodded, and she tried to think of where to go from there.

" You know." Liam said. " For a cop that's meant to wrap up, you've sure done a lot of snooping. Following the young ones, trying to flirt with the young boys… And I swear you snuck into people's apartments and tried to get them to give false witness."

She wasn't sure when he had come in. A few in the crowd gave a few titters and started whispering amongst themselves. She saw Liam lean back in his chair, looking smug and secure in the middle of his group of teens.

She smiled at him. " I just wanted to make sure the little ones were going to be alright- someone keeps sending them out to do some very dangerous things. I've been out at night, walking around, and I've seen them walking back home covered in gunk and full of scratches. What's going on there, Mr. Abernathy?" She heard a mother call out about her son's paw.

He shrugged. " Bernard's kids. He tells them what to do, I've got no say in it."

The mood in the room was changing. She could see more frowns, whispers going around and glances at her.

She took a step towards him, paws by her sides. " You're in charge here, Liam. Either you're responsible for these people or you aren't. And wouldn't you want to make sure the kids were safe even if they weren't your responsibility? "

Liam opened his mouth to refute her, but she spoke up first.

" Liam," she said. "Where'd Laura and Teagan go? Don't they have family here that miss them?"

Liam look surprised, and angry, the same as many of the parents behind him. " Teagan went on a fishing trip with some friends! He fell off the boat, and we couldn't find him! How do you know anything about-"

She heard a group of parents speak out all at once, crying about other kids that hadn't been back in months, or that Liam had promised would be back weeks ago… They wanted to know where their children were. With a cop here, they felt empowered. He couldn't do anything without going to jail.

Liam turned his back, imploring the parents to calm down, that the seas were rough and sometimes there would be accidents… " Remember," he pleaded. " The donations we get from the kids passing away… Their memory lives on that way, we can make this place better thanks to their sacri-"

" Money **doesn't** make up for losing our kids!" Judy could hear Barbara and a few other parents in that yell. "And what improvements! You always promise, and nothing-"

She could see some of the shop owners standing up and joining the argument, the smaller kids nervously backing up and sitting by their parents. The teens were arguing amongst themselves, some pushing and shoving. She heard something about rats.

Judy took steps forward, trying to raise her voice above the din. " Hey! Hold on, everyone! HEY!"

Some of them broke off from the yelling and settled down. It took a couple of minutes to get everyone calmed down again, and Judy could see a clear difference in the way people sat now. More of the parents were staring at her, their children huddled around them. Even a few of the teenagers had broken off from their circle.

The room stayed quiet for a few moments, as Judy tried to collect her thoughts. Liam and that beaver were both glaring at her, now. She'd have to keep an eye on them.

" Everyone," she said. " I'm here today for the same reason I got caught up in that Bellwether case- I wanted to make sure someone got home safe to the people that cared about him. I wanted someone to be safe, and that want extends to all of you, too. I'm not here because I like talking, I promise." She knew she was on a soapbox now- should she go back a bit?

" Hey," someone called. " That's your partner in the back, no? The fox?" Nick looked up, gave her a weak smile. "Fox! Let's here you talk! You've grown up in places like this, haven't you?" Judy saw Nick sigh, the crowd beginning to egg him on and tiring to push him up towards the front of the room. He eventually started walking and took up a spot next to her.

Nick didn't look his best, now that she had a good luck at him. He smelled like fish, and his clothes looked ruffled. He smiled at her again. " Hi. Been busy, sorry about… this whole thing." He stepped past her before she could answer back.

" Hi everyone." he said, paws behind his back. He looked out of place next to her, in his floral tee and khakis. " My name, as you all might know, is Nick Wilde. I'm Judy's partner, and as you all can see, I'm that big scary predator that might be making some of you uncomfortable."

Nick waited, and Judy could see his brows furrowed, head dipped a little. He took a deep breath and stared back up.

" I'm a predator, sure." He began. " I'm a cop. Both things that mean some very negative things here. But I was just like you once. I struggled in a tough neighborhood, I worked to fight my way out as soon as I could. And I thought cops were the worst, that I could only depend on myself. She-" he pointed at Judy, and she could see a deep wave of... something in his eyes. "- Is someone that actually follows through, doesn't give up, and does her best to give everyone a fair shake. She looks at you, and you-" he took a deep breath. "- you get looked at as an individual, someone important."

He swallowed, continuing quickly. " I promise you I'd be in a much worse place without her, and that's not a place I ever want to be in again. I ran with some very scary folk- ask your parents- and this one officer showed me that there's a real, possible way to have something better. She'll give you guys 110% support, if you let her. "

He could hear his heart beating, loud enough that he could hardly hear Judy any more, or what anyone else was saying. But he had done it. This was it.

Nick heard Shani make an odd noise in his throat, and Nick looked up to see Shani's face twisted-up in a mixture of confusion and surprise. It quickly settled back into a calm mask, and the stare he gave turned expectant. Was he expecting a turnaround at the end of the speech?

Judy went into what it was like being an officer- what she loved about it, what it took to be one, what else someone could do. She talked about how great it could be being a part of a group that always had your back, how people looked up to you. Liam kept trying to interject, but she eventually ignored him altogether. She was stubborn, persistent.

She was done talking about a half-hour later. Multiple parents went up to her, asking her what could be done about Liam. Some of the teens stayed away from her, but some others wanted to know if their education was enough to try for the academy. Nick stood by the door, keeping an eye on Liam, who was trying to keep away from everyone.

* * *

" Nicholas," Shani said, quietly. " We're going outside. Get the rabbits."

Nick got Liam first, who wasn't in any mood to argue with him, and Judy eventually came after Nick promised it would be quick.

Judy didn't trust being alone with those two, making sure to keep everyone ahead of her. Liam wasn't something to worry about, but the beaver… She didn't like the look on his face. It was cold outside, especially now that the sun had set. Even Nick looked uncomfortable. She heard something about Thom, and Nick shrugged.

The beaver spoke up first, leaning against the apartment wall. " Judith Hopps," he said. " The amount of effort you've put into this is… noticeable. Could I interest you in putting that effort into something else?"

She shook her head. " This is almost done. Liam just needs to come quietly and this neighborhood can start growing." The beaver sighed, getting off the wall and pacing around her. Nick kept by his side, avoiding her face. Liam kept close by her, wringing his paws.

The beaver spoke up again. " Judith, listen. You don't know me, but your friend here could tell you about me. When I say that you should do something else…." he paused, smiling. Madam…. You should do something else."

She felt Nick bump into her, something being pulled away from her belt. She whirled around, trying to grab him, but he quickly moved away, stopping in front of her.

" Last chance, Nicholas." the beaver said. " I want to go home." The beaver stopped in front of her, staring into her eyes. " Same with you. I'm being very nice, prey. Are you going to listen and give this up?"

Nick shook his head, and lifted the Taser. " She won't. Idiot."

* * *

Nick enjoyed Shani shouting and jerking around more than he should have, grateful that the muskrat was too tunnel-visioned to wear more than street-clothes. The Taser barbs had gone in good, and Shani went down fast- it helped this model was for bigger mammals.

He kept the trigger pressed down, nodding at Judy. " Handcuffs, Officer. Come on, this one has some sharp claws." Shani screamed something, and Nick had to move away before Shani could land a good swipe. Judy, to her credit, managed to grab an arm and eventually get the cuff on.

Liam had stayed still the entire time, thankfully. Nick didn't feel like running, anyway.

Nick watched Shani squirm around, wondering if he should reload the Taser. He handed it back to Judy and tried not to smile at her confused expression.

Judy shook her head slowly. " I really need you to explain what's going on, Nick." Nick grinning like that wasn't helping very much- neither was Liam cowering in the corner of her eye.

Nick looked a little disappointed, shaking his head. "I… aw, did you not put the pieces together? Well then…" He gave a sloppy salute.

" Nick P. Wilde, undercover with the Gangs Division and testing Officer Hopps for Detective training. At your service, Ace Detective."

* * *

A lot of things happened at once in the proceeding hours. The beaver and rabbit went off in separate cars, Nick apparently had to go off to the Rainforest for a few hours, and an officer she hadn't seen before told her to head back to the station for a debriefing.

She picked out a few key points in the next few hours:

o Nick had been undercover for months, working to clear out an old gang he was in. He volunteered as a way to gain acceptance in the force.

o Judy wasn't originally supposed to be a part of it, but the Gangs Division wanted someone to take care of Liam, so he wouldn't take over the now-empty territory. Nick offered to bring her in, as long as it counted for Detective consideration.

o According to Nick (who kept fussing with his shoulder when he got back), he had been dropping hints the entire time, and had been acting odd because he was fighting trying not to tell her.

o He lied because he didn't want her getting involved with the Rainforest gang.

o The fire wasn't expected. Someone named Adani was dead from overdose and a lot of rats now had some form of hearing loss. Nick muttered something about flash-bangs.

She nodded through the debriefings, fuming in Nick's direction and trying to stay awake. All she knew right now is that she'd been lied to, and he was going to pay her back somehow.

* * *

Judy sipped at her smoothie, counting off their third lap around the block. Nick had gone through his a long time ago, and had become very interested in the streetlights. " You didn't have to lie to me, Nick." she said." I would've helped, and I wouldn't have stuck my neck out for no reason."

Nick shook his head. " I didn't want you to see what my old life was like. That was another me, and I only want you to see the new me, cop me." He rubbed his neck. " Um, and I might have not paid attention to detail as much if you were there. I was… already worried."

They walked through the park this time, sitting at the bench for a while. Nick spoke up first. " The big case was for me to cut my past ties, right? And now, you get to go into the Detective stuff with a big commendation- you'll go far." He stared up, trying to see if there were any constellations out.

Judy folded her legs and took some time to think. " I wanted to do it with you, Nick." she said sadly. " That was something we were going to do together. As partners."

Nick shook his head. " I'm not letting me hold you back for another six months- look at what you did on your own these few weeks! A whole community that's getting itself reorganized, and we've already got some good outreach… " he poked her shoulder. "You're a hero, like I kept telling you."

She looked over at him, eyes glum. "What made you do all this, anyway? Why bring me in?"

Nick smiled a little. " I grew up learning that you pay back people who helped you out. You got me here, gave me something nice, so what kind of mammal would I be if I didn't pay you back?"

They sat there quietly, enjoying the breeze. Neither of them was sure what to say for a while.

Nick was excited, though, Judy apprehensive. Life would be much different now.

Nick was proud to call her his partner, but he wouldn't tell her that. Judy was overwhelmed, and wanted to tell Nick she was afraid of losing him this whole time, that she was at least happy to have him back.

They stayed quiet, but sat close. Nick squeezed her paw reassuringly.

Hopefully, nothing major would happen soon, she prayed. Just let things stay calm and go right.

That wasn't what happened, unfortunately.


End file.
